Scarlet Tears
by VampireBasket
Summary: She was weak, feeble and pathetic. She is a traveller who has locked away her heart and refuses to allow anyone to get too close. But after accidentally befriending one of the Uchiha clan, her world is turned upside down and she is forced to chose between her life on the road or Itachi Uchiha... ItachiXOC and bits of Shisui. Rated T for occasional language, just in case.
1. Kekkei Genkai

**A/N: Hello fellow fanfictioners!**

**My second story uploaded :D I'm quite proud of my dedication, I hope you all like my writing. Criticism is welcome please feel free to review and suggest ideas :) It's always much appreciated.**

**I have a few chapters pre-written so I'm hoping to update as quickly as I did for my other story. It might not be daily this time, as the chapters are much longer.**

**I hope you all like it :D I DO NOT OWN NARUTO... As much as I'd love to.**

**Enjoy x**

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The evening was serenely quiet. An unusual trait for this community to posses. I had wandered quite far away from the heart of the town in a feeble attempt to drown out the constant bustling of village life, and in achieving so surprised myself.

I have seen many nights in many different lands throughout my thirteen years of life, but never have I been so astounded with one town's ability to be so comfortingly disruptive. Nothing was ever calm in Konaha, and I was beginning to suspect that I had simply been severely unobservant and missed some sort of great important gathering in a particular part of the village.

Sighing, I stared up at the vibrant sky, a beautiful array of pastel pinks and yellows painted over the mountain. Closing my eyes, I gently pushed my chakra away from my body, searching in the dusky atmosphere for any other signs of life. My eyes flickered open as my senses arrived in a clearing not far from where I was positioned.

My eyebrows knitted together. The presence was male, and significantly stronger than mine, but I didn't find anything threatening about him. Shrugging my shoulders I got to my feet, brushing the dust off my knees as I went to stand in front of an old, sturdy-looking tree trunk. I had sought this place out to concentrate on my training, and one measly nearby presence wasn't about to stop me.

I brought my hands together and, taking a deep breath, wove my fingers into the correct hand sign.

'Wind style, Wind Chakra Claw,' I spoke aloud, forcing chakra into a balled fist. I flung my arm forward, sending a boomerang shaped burst of energy hurtling at the trunk. It collided with a sharp crackle, splintering the wood and ripping a harsh jagged line across the bark.

I smirked, pleased with my progress. I was about to repeat the technique when a sudden movement caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I whirled on my heel and drew a kunai from my ninja pouch, dipping into a defensive crouch in the process.

My sapphire irises locked with jet black and I visibly relaxed as I registered the Leaf emblem portrayed on his headband.

'You shouldn't drop your guard just because of my village symbol, you know.' His expression was almost scolding as he made to walk towards me. 'Any idiot knows that.'

'Who said I dropped my guard. Maybe I wanted you to think that!' I scowled, lying through my teeth. When he didn't reply, I tightened my grip on my weapon and watched as he continued to invade my training site.

His eyes glinted with amusement as my annoyance became more and more obvious. 'Maybe you did, but even so I could still kill you without a problem, so you may as well relax.' He was toying with me.

'Who the hell do you think you are?' I snarled.

'I could say the same to you, outsider.'

I glowered at the honorific. He was right, I was not born in the Fire country and had only been residing in this village for little over a year. However I bore no physical evidence of this fact, and to the naked eye I blended in quite easily.

He, on the other hand, had quite a well-known clan crest that was distinctly native to Konaha plastered all over his attire. His dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that fell just between his shoulder blades where the familiar red and white fan symbol was printed.

I jabbed my knife into the air where his face would be if he persisted in his advancing. 'What makes you think that, Uchiha?'

Finally coming to a halt no more than a meter away, he raised an eyebrow slightly and the corner of his mouth tilted upwards. 'So you've heard of my clan, then? That's not surprising, even those foreign to this land are aware of the importance of my family.'

_Cocky bastard…_ I fisted my hand by my side as I returned my kunai. 'I wouldn't think so highly of yourself, Uchiha. I'm your worst opponent.'

At this, his expression grew serious, briefly pondering whether of not to call my bluff. In all honesty, I was no match for this boy, however there was a considerable advantage I held over the Uchiha.

'Prove it.'

It took me a moment to realise what I had gotten myself into. Within seconds, he was behind me, black eyes swirling and mixing with a deep crimson. I leapt forward, pulling out my kunai again and smirking as I stared deep into his Sharingan.

His eyes flashed in brief annoyance and confusion, and he shot forward at an unimaginable speed. His fist connected with my stomach and I grimaced, barely suppressing a squeal of both pain and shock. I was sent tumbling backwards until my back was slammed into the same tree I had been practicing on.

His face, now mere inches from mine, briefly contorted in an irritated glare before he regained a calm composure. I started to struggle against his hold, but on realising that was futile, settled on fixing my most hostile glare into his red irises.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. 'Who are you? Tell me your name.'

I was about to protest but his furious expression convinced me otherwise. 'My name is Akira Haiyuka.'

'What clan are you from?'

'I don't… My parents were from a travelling race. A caravan, if you like. No particular clan.'

His eyes searched my face trying to determine if I was lying. I wasn't. My parents were both normal kunoichi, from no particular background.

If I wasn't on such thin ice I would have smirked and made a snide comment about his lack of Genjutsu use, but I swallowed my pride and clamped my mouth shut. I may have been an outsider, but I wasn't stupid.

'My Sharingan doesn't affect you…' It wasn't a question.

I shook my head slowly, watching his every move with caution. He didn't seem annoyed anymore, more curious if anything.

'Why?' He tilted his head and loosened his grip on my shoulders. I shrugged his hands off and edged sideways away, trying to distance myself.

'Maybe I just don't fall for such a weak Jutsu…' I cursed inwardly at my smart mouth.

'You really don't know when to shut up, do you?' Despite his words, his expression remained unchanging and it was beginning to unnerve me. I looked away awkwardly and suddenly his hands were on my face, holding my head up and forcing me to look him right in the eye.

I froze instinctively. Though I knew there was no way his eyes would be a threat to me, his level of skill definitely was, and I didn't plan on dying anytime soon.

'Why?' He asked again, more forcefully this time.

I hadn't wanted to give away my abilities so easily but I really didn't see a way out of this without giving him what he wanted. 'It's… part of my Kekkei Genkai…' I started hesitantly. He seemed momentarily surprised by this, but waited for me to continue.

'You're not the only one with a talent for Genjutsu.'

'Why should that matter? I've met others who have used Genjutsu, but none with an immunity to the Sharingan. I wonder…' He trailed off, lost in thought.

I took this opportunity to escape, once again from his grasp. I backed up slowly until I reached the other side of the clearing. He made no move to try to stop me, so I took my chance and sprung off into the depths of the surrounding foliage.

xXx

It had been three days since my encounter with the Uchiha stranger, and I had not made a habit of returning to that clearing. As I wandered aimlessly through the bustling market place, I found myself scanning the crowd in search of the mysterious stranger that now held the knowledge of a big part of my ability.

_Cocky bastard. The whole Uchiha clan has probably been warned against me by now._ I scowled at the thought and flipped my messy ocean-coloured hair over my shoulder trying to shake off the disappointing feeling.

The idea that maybe I had imagined the whole scene had crossed my mind, but I had rolled my eyes at my naïve ponderings and forced the encounter to the back of my mind.

My shopping bag was just beginning to fill up and I headed over to one of the smaller, less-crowded fruit stalls. I picked up a couple of apples and tossed them into a bag, plonking them onto the scales to assess the price.

'You know, the green ones are much cheaper and taste pretty much the same…' I looked up to see a boy I didn't recognise. He had short black, spiky hair that stuck out in all directions, maybe a couple of years older than myself. The shadow of the stall shaded the vivid colour of his inquisitive eyes, but they were still very blatantly red.

'Great another one…' I muttered, too quietly for him to hear, before plastering a smile across my mouth. 'Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.'

I went to move away but his hand caught my wrist. 'Hey you're not from Konaha, are you?'

_Great, he really has told all his little Uchiha buddies… _'Not until recently. What gave me away?'

'Your ninja pack.' He grinned at my oblivious expression. 'It has the kanji for 'Wolf' on it, right? Not many folk around this village who even know of the Wolf summons clan.'

_Smart. Very smart…_ 'Then how do you know of it?' I couldn't help but wonder. The wolves were an extremely suspicious clan when it came to humans, and they rarely trusted any creature other than their own kind.

'I heard some of the elders talking about it once.' He shrugged, not seeming to think anything of it. 'I'm Shisui by the way!'

He stuck his hand out in front of me and I took it reluctantly. 'I'm Akira… Erm, did you know that you have your Sharingan activated?'

He stared at me curiously but blinked them back to a deep black anyway. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to threaten you…'

I scoffed. 'I wasn't threatened, I just figured you hadn't realised. I've heard it can be very…' I searched for the right word. 'Chakra-consuming?'

He laughed lightly, reactivating them casually. 'Nah, not for me. Are you gonna pay for those?' He pointed to the apples that were still sitting in the scaling dish.

'Oh, right.' I quickly gathered them into my bag and handed over the money to the merchant.

'Here, let me help you carry something!' I eyed him dubiously but allowed him to take the lighter of the two bags. I wasn't sure what his game was, but I wasn't buying it.

'So, if you're not from the Leaf, where are you staying?' His tone seemed light enough, and there was nothing about his posture that seemed out-of-place, so I sighed and continued the conversation. _Maybe he really is just friendly?_

We arrived at my shabby little apartment a few minutes later, and as he began to make his way back to the marketplace, he paused and shouted back to me. 'Hey Akira, maybe I'll see you at the festival tomorrow?'

I smiled and waved, retreating through the front door.

I hadn't really planned on going since I didn't know all that many people in this village. I rarely stayed in one village for more than two years, so I was used to keeping to myself, never really allowing myself to get close to anyone.

The festival was to celebrate the coming of spring, when the Konaha cherry blossom trees began to bloom and a thin layer of baby pink petals littered the dusty floors. I had watched in solitude from my window the past year, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of excitement at the thought of witnessing it in full.

It couldn't hurt I supposed. I would go to the festival tomorrow, maybe even see Shisui there. But I refused to allow myself any attachments to this village or it's people. Ties are just too easily broken, and far too difficult to maintain.

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**A/N: So, that concludes the first chapter! Let me know what you think. It is going to be ItachiXOC but as I said in the description, there's lots of Shisui too :D x**


	2. Cherry Blossom Festival

**A/N: Second update in a day, hopefully I can keep up a good pace.**

**I said before I have a few pre-written chapters, but I am beta-ing for myself so do let me know if I have any terrible mistakes.**

**This chapter and the next are all about building the relationship between Shisui and Akira since he's a main character, he helps to lead it into an ItachiXOC fic.**

**Enjoy! x**

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The morning came around in no time, and despite the jittering butterflies that were slowly beginning to swarm in my stomach, I hurried to get myself ready. I had never been to anything like this before, and I was going on memory from previous years of observing from afar.

I picked out a pretty, knee-length pastel blue dress and my favourite pair of white leggings with small navy heels to match. I tied my hair into a scruffy bun allowing a couple of loose teal strands to fall around my face. Satisfied, I skipped to my window and pulled open the heavy curtains to reveal the already hectic crowds hurrying through the streets toward the Hokage tower.

I wandered outside to join them, and as we came to a halt in front of the village leaders home, I couldn't help but gasp at it's enormity.

'Couldn't resist seeing me again, huh?' Shisui's voice made me jump as he appeared beside me, and I was mildly impressed that he had managed to force his way through the crowds so swiftly.

'Yeah, you wish.' I smirked at him as he pouted. 'I've never been to one of these things… I was curious.'

'Curiosity killed the cat, you know.' He winked and before I could respond, the crowd was silenced as the Third Hokage graced us with his appearance at the top of the building.

'My fellow people, I would first like to thank you all on behalf of the elders and respected village leaders for your attendance on this day. I sincerely wish you all the very best in this coming season, and the many more to come. Without further ado, I declare the Konaha Cherry Blossom Festival… Open!' There was a light explosion from either side of the tower, and a flurry of pearl-coloured flower petals came tumbling over the now-deafening crowd.

I grinned, my eyes following one of the delicate pink flecks as it floated into the sea of heads. Shisui tugged on my arm and we began to make our way towards the marketplace where I had met him the day before.

'They do all the interesting stuff later, but during the day they mainly just have the stalls set up. Things like fairground amusements and souvenir tradesmen.'

I felt my eyes light up at the mention of souvenir stalls. I always liked to collect little keepsakes from each village I moved from, it was sort of a hobby I had developed.

As we arrived, a wave of guilt washed over me as something hit me. 'Umm, as much as I appreciate the company I don't want to keep you from anything. I mean, you probably want to be here with your friends and family, right?'

A strange expression crossed his face for a brief second before his eyes softened and he regained his usual playful smirk. 'I'm sure we'll bump into them here at some point. Pretty much the whole village is here!'

I nodded as something on one of the stalls caught my eye. I brushed my fingers over the small wooden box, the village symbol carved finely onto the lid. I smiled and my eyes met with the vendor, who had noticed my interest.

'That's 2000 yen, if you're interested, miss,' He grinned at me and I went to pull out my purse, but a hand on my arm stunted my action.

'I'll get that.'

I gaped at the Uchiha accompanying me momentarily before shaking my head. 'You don't have to do that–'

'Call it a welcome present, my treat!' He paid before I could stop him and handed me the small container. Tucking it carefully into my bag, I looked up and beamed at him.

'Thanks, Shisui! No one's ever bought me anything before!' He seemed surprised by this statement but simply rubbed the back of his neck and told me not to mention it.

We rounded a corner and something hard collided with my stomach and making an 'oof' sound. I looked down startled and my gaze was met by two small black eyes staring back.

'Hey, watch where you're going!' The kid frowned at me, his lips moving into a childish pout. I resisted the urge to laugh at his attempt of looking angry when all I could think of was how cute he looked. He was probably about 7 or 8, with short black hair that stuck out slightly at the back.

'Erm, I think you'll find it was you who ran into her, Sasuke…' Shisui retorted scuffling the boy's hair and smirking at his irritated expression. _He must be another Uchiha… This village is overrun with them! _I mused silently.

Chuckling at the sight, I leaned forward slightly to regain Sasuke's attention. 'No you're right, I do apologise, Sasuke. I'll be sure to keep an eye out next time,' I winked.

He stared at me for a moment before crossing his arms and puffing up his chest. 'That's alright, I'll let it slide this time!'

'Tsk…' I grinned as the older Uchiha rolled his eyes and mumbled something incoherent about how kids always get away with things.

'Sasuke, who are you pestering now…' Another voice sounded from behind us. A hauntingly familiar voice.

I just barely managed to convince myself to turn around as Shisui greeted the voice's owner.

'Itachi! I knew you'd be here. You oughta keep a better eyes on that brother of yours…' He trailed off as he picked up on the intense glare between Itachi and myself. His red gaze flickered from mine to his, until finally something clicked. 'Do you two… Know each other?'

'You could say that.' I snapped, harsher than I had intended. It wasn't Shisui's fault this guy was such an arrogant pain in my neck.

'We've been… Acquainted.' Itachi kept a stoic expression but I couldn't help but let a small glower taint my features. 'Akira Haiyuka, was it?'

I scowled in response, briefly forgetting where I was. Sasuke broke the tension by bounding between us, his small fingers curling around his brother's wrists, tugging them, excitedly.

''tachi, you said you'd help me with Shuriken toss! Come on, we have to join the queue!' He bounded off in another direction and my blue eyes softened as I watched him pause when he realised he wasn't being followed. ''tachi!'

Shisui, who was still been trying to figure out the obvious irritation, slapped us both hard on the backs and shoved us forward after the young Uchiha. 'Come on, you guys. Baby-sitting duty calls!'

My eyes stayed fixed on the little head leading the way and I kept silent until we arrived at the game stall. I vaguely listened to Shisui giving an unnecessarily complicated explanation of the rules to Sasuke and watched with amusement as he tried to tell his cousin – I had learned – that he already knew how to play.

I risked a glance at Itachi, who had also been silent for most of the journey, only giving the occasional grunt in response to convince Shisui he was still listening. He was watching me, and I snapped my eyes forward again feeling my cheeks begin to heat up.

'Akira! Your turn!' Sasuke's little voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even considered having a go… I wasn't terrible at hitting a target, but I prayed all the same that I wouldn't mess up so terribly in front of the oh-so-wonderful Uchiha members.

I picked up the first of my weapons, and, cocking my head to the side in an attempt of assessing the distance, tossed it towards the target. It hit, not the centre but within range all the same. The second followed in a similar manner, but I was relieved to see the third land almost perfectly.

'Not bad, but step aside and let the master show you all how it's done!' Shisui's three shuriken all hit the target's centre, each knocking the previous out of position and taking it's place. I had to admit I was impressed.

'Brother! Your go!' The youngster bounced on the spot and looked up at me excitedly. ''tachi's the best at this! He never misses!'

I raised an eyebrow and tried to refrain from coating my tone with a heavy layer of sarcasm, cautious not to offend the wrong person. 'I'm sure he is…'

Of course his round was even better than his cousins. When he finished he turned and looked me in the eye, a cocky glint in his black irises. I scowled again, and was about to give him a piece of my mind when Shisui broke my train of thought.

'Okay, what'd I miss here?' He tapped his foot impatiently, red eyes swirling subconsciously. Mr fantastic spoke first.

'I don't know Shisui. I guess some people just can't deal with perfection…'

I scoffed. 'I hardly call hitting a target a few times perfection.'

'Better than your _attempt_. Even your third one didn't really hit it.'

'Oh I'm terribly sorry, I missed the lessons on how to trample all over someone's dignity!'

'I would never dream of such a thing, would I, Sasuke?'

'Don't bring your brother into it, jackass!'

'Aw does the little outsider have a soft spot for kids?'

'Screw you!' I snarled, spinning around and stomping off into the crowd, leaving a very stunned Shisui and a slightly frightened looking Sasuke.

xXx

I had been sitting on the step outside my apartment block for the remainder of the afternoon, silently seething and plotting my comebacks should I happen to come across that jerk again. I must have been so deep in thought that I was completely oblivious to the new presence that was now seated by my side until he spoke.

'So what was all that about?' Shisui.

I jumped at the sudden intrusion, but relaxed again as recognition dawned on me. I had forgotten about him and Sasuke in my anger and I felt a pang of guilt shoot through me. 'I'm sorry I marched off like that… I hope I didn't scare Sasuke too much…'

To my surprise, he smirked. 'Actually he found the whole situation rather funny. If it makes you feel better, I think he's still giving Itachi grief for it.'

'Really? How come?'

'Sasuke may only be young but he can be very gentlemanly. He's been hounding his brother since you left about how rude it is to upset women like that.'

I smiled as I remembered the youngster's cheeky attitude.

'…So do I get an explanation?'

'Oh… Yeah, sorry. A couple of days ago I was training on the outskirts of the village when Itachi interrupted my session.' I hesitated, unsure of how to explain the next part, but Shisui answered for me.

'Let me guess, you sparred, he won and rubbed it in your face?' His eyes were amused but he tried to keep a straight face as he spoke. I appreciated the gesture.

'Hey, I wasn't that easy to beat! Well… I was that time… But if I was more prepared I could wipe that cocky grin right off his face!'

'I'd like to see you do that sometime. You let me know when you are more prepared.' He flashed a grin and I couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic it all sounded. 'So…'

I watched his expression change slowly to curiosity and I knew that Itachi had also given him his side of the story.

'Your Kekkei Genkai? Sounds pretty unique to be immune to the Sharingan…'

I grimaced at the mention but Shisui laughed it off. 'Don't worry, I won't even ask! Come on, you're gonna miss the fireworks if you sit around here all night!'

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**A/N: Aw I like Shisui. It's a shame he died in the anime. Actually the whole Uchiha story is a shame. Poor Itachi :(**

**Anyway, back to the point, I hope you liked this chapter, I'm working on chapter 6 at the moment but don't want to send all the chapters out too fast and then have a big gap between the later ones...**

**Anyway, thank you for reading! Please let me know how I'm doing :) x**


	3. Sasuke

**A/N: Okay I couldn't resist uploading another chapter, I've just finished writing chapter 6 and though I'd like to keep ahead of myself I doubt I'm actually going to.**

**So here it is!**

**Enjoy :) x**

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The firework display was everything I had heard and more. The opening ceremony was absolutely breath taking, starting with a string of pinwheel explosions lighting up the mountain skyline, followed by several deafening rocket flares shooting up and illuminating the clouds. A beautiful mixture of cobalt blue, emerald green and crimson danced across the horizon.

As the last display of colours began the final routine, my eyes were torn from the skies to identify the pattering of little feet running up from behind me. Shisui saw him first, grinning and calling to his little cousin.

'Sasuke! Hurry up and sit down or you'll miss the end of the show!'

'Akira! You came back!' He plonked himself between us as he tried to regain his breath. Glancing back over his shoulder and nodding his head towards me.

Puzzled, I followed his gaze to where, much to my dismay, a bored looking Itachi was strolling after him. I suppressed a groan and forced an awkward smile onto my lips. I definitely didn't want a repeat of before, and if that meant trying to get along with this jerk, then so be it.

He sat down on the grass beside his cousin, leaning forward slightly to regard me. Sasuke non-discretely nodded his head again and Itachi rolled his eyes, sighing. 'I'm sorry about before. You're attempt was average at best,'

I grimaced at the half apology, half insult and decided that was the best I was going to get.

The display finally ended, a miraculous array of bursting colours showering down over the village, and as the gentle hum of the crowd began to die down as they started to clear the area, I couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to have a home.

Almost as soon as the thought crossed my mind I shook my head to clear it. This is why I had never been to anything like this before, it just makes you want to stay longer. It's not that I couldn't stay, it just wasn't in my nature. I was born into a travelling race and although I had only been with them for a few years of my life, staying in one place for too long began to feel claustrophobic. It had always been this way, and I was fine with it.

'Hello in there… Earth to Akira!'

I blinked and refocused on the messy black hair and shimmering red eyes in front of me. 'Sorry, did you say something?'

Shisui eyed me suspiciously before shrugging and pulling me to my feet. 'I said, me and Itachi have to go sort out some clan business before we head home, is it alright if Sasuke stays with you for a bit?'

I looked down at the young Uchiha who was pouting at his brother. 'Why can't I come too? I'll be good, I swear!'

Itachi gave him a rare smile and scruffled the little head. 'Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe next time.'

We watched as the pair disappeared towards to Uchiha compound and I beckoned for Sasuke to follow me. 'Come on, why don't we go have some ramen?' His dark eyes lit up at this and he sprung into step beside me. I had to hold back a squeal of adoration.

The hill we had been watching the firework display on suddenly seemed very lonely as the dusk began to cloak our surroundings. There was an eerie chill descending and I glanced down at Sasuke. He hadn't seemed to notice the change in atmosphere but I began to pick up the pace all the same.

A muffled sounding blast sounded behind us making us both jump. I spun round shoving Sasuke behind my back as I moved. I inhaled sharply as my nose brushed against a large black muzzle right in front of me. The creature was easily twice the size of an average wolf, it's body pure black with red tinted fur colouring it's paws and the tip of it's ears and tail.

The giant wolf lowered his head until his blazing red eyes were level with my own, and relief slowly wove its way onto my expression.

'Akuma…' I breathed.

'Long time no see, Akira… Who's the kid?' A deep, voice rumbled from within his throat and I shivered as warm breath blew softly against my face.

I turned to the little Uchiha, who's gaze was flickering between myself and Akuma. I put my hand on his shoulder and he flinched at the contact. 'Hey, it's alright, Sasuke. This is a friend of mine, one of my summon wolves. His name is Akuma,' I smiled reassuringly and, although his shoulders relaxed slightly, his small expression remained afraid.

'Demon?' He whispered, searching my face for any hint of fear. 'Did you summon him?'

I frowned and turned back to the dark creature and placed a hand on the rough fur at the back of his neck. 'No, I didn't actually…'

'Sorry for the short notice. We haven't heard from you in a while. Tsuchi sent me,'

'She was worried?' I guessed and he bowed his head in a single nod, his swirling eyes never leaving Sasuke's. 'Who is he? What village is this?'

I swallowed cautiously. Akuma held a short temper, and though I knew he would never do anything to harm me, he wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the Uchiha clan. 'We're in Konaha.'

Sasuke gripped my arm tightly as the wolf brought his large head down so it was almost touching his.

'That symbol… What clan are you, kid?'

I cut in before he could answer. 'Akuma. You can tell Tsuchi that I am fine. I will contact her later but right now there's somewhere I really have to get to.'

Akuma raised his magnificent form until he was towering over us. Giving us one last suspicious glare, he vanished into the darkness. I let out the breath I had been holding and pulled Sasuke up onto my back, hurrying into the dimly lit streets of the Leaf village.

xXx

'Akira?' Sasuke started quietly, watching me curiously as I swirled my chopsticks in the bowl in front of me. 'What was that all about? Why did he want to know my clan?'

I hesitated, pondering how much to tell the youngster without frightening him. 'Akuma isn't all that fond of the Uchiha. He holds a bit of a grudge from past, erm… Encounters.'

'Oh.' His eyes dropped to his ramen.

'Don't worry, Sasuke. He's all bark and no bite, he isn't a threat to you or your family, he's just a little sour. I promise.'

He seemed comforted by my confidence and finished off his food before looking back up at me, a small grin crossing his features. 'Thanks for the meal, Akira! I should probably go home now, my mother will be wondering where I am!'

'Oh of course, it is quite late. Come on, then. I'll walk you back.'

The Uchiha compound was much smaller than I had imagined. A small town within a town. There were a few small winding streets that lead to what looked like the main market road. I followed him quietly, taking in the gentle atmosphere. _It's much calmer here than the rest of the village…_

He led me to one of the larger houses just beyond the main street and pulled open the doors.

'I'm home!' He called out to nobody, and for a moment I wondered if he lived alone with his brother.

'Sasuke?' A female voice laced with worry rang through the hall, followed by the rushed sound of footsteps. An attractive-looking woman with long swishing black hair appeared from across the room. I assumed this was his mother as she gasped and scooped the child up into a tight hug, and I suddenly felt very intrusive.

'Muuum!'

'I've been so worried, it's way past your curfew, Sasuke!' The woman stepped back and glanced at me in the doorway as I played with a loose strand of my hair. 'Oh, who's your friend?'

'That's Akira. She walked me home.'

'I'm sorry he's late, we stopped for ramen after the firework display. It's my fault he's so late back.' Before I had even finished speaking her panicked expression had softened as she offered me grateful smile.

'Don't worry about it, dear. You said you had ramen? Here let me pay you for his share…' She fumbled in her pocket and I quickly shook my head, backing away.

'No, please! I don't mind at all! I don't want to intrude on your time any longer so I'll–'

'Nonsense, I won't hear of it!' Before I could blink she was ushering me inside and I found myself sitting on a large red cushion with a cup of tea in my hands. 'It's the least I can do,' She flashed me a genuine smile and I liked her instantly. She told me her name was Mikoto, and that her husband, Fugaku, and eldest son were away at a clan meeting.

'So, did you meet at the festival today?' She licked her thumb and began trying to smooth down a flick of Sasuke's hair, and he shuffled beneath her attempting to escape.

I chuckled at his futile attempts. 'Yes, we erm, _bumped_ into each other when I was with Shisui earlier, who I met yesterday at the marketplace.' I winked at the little Uchiha as his cheeks flushed a slight pink at the mention of our first encounter.

'She knows 'tachi too.' I inwardly thanked God he hadn't mentioned my distaste for the older sibling to his mother.

'_She_'s the cats mother, Sasuke.' She scolded teasingly, giving up on his scruffy fringe. He blinked up at her, not fully understanding the saying, but before he could respond, the door was slid open revealing a certain older brother and father figure.

'Fugaku, come greet our guest. This is Akira, she brought Sasuke home after the festival.'

I gave him a modest smile and he nodded in response. Feeling insanely out of place, I returned my cup to the table and got to my feet.

'Thank you for the tea, Mikoto. It is quite late though so I really should be going.' I grinned at the youngster who was beginning to protest. 'See you, Sasuke.' He gave me a cute frown and mumbled his goodbye.

I had just reached the door when I heard Mikoto speak up again. 'Itachi, don't be rude! You can't let a young girl go wandering around the village at night.'

I hurried out the front door before I could hear his response, anything to avoid another awkward situation with _him_.

'You're going the wrong way, you know.' I let out a small yelp in surprise as Itachi appeared beside me.

I huffed and spun 180 , marching back in the opposite direction.

He trailed behind me silently as I struggled to find my way back out of the compound. I faltered momentarily, trying to gauge my surroundings and think back to the way Sasuke and I had walked only a short while ago.

'You know, for a ninja your sense of direction really sucks…'

'Thank you for your opinion, but I was just trying to shake you off before I actually go home.' I moved off again and he matched my pace effortlessly, making my scowl intensify.

'Why don't you like me?'

'What makes you think that?' I shot back, annoyed that he wasn't giving up.

'Well if you do you have a very weird way of showing it…' He caught my arm and practically yanked me down a road I hadn't even noticed. 'It's this way, moron.'

I snatched my arm out of his grasp and flashed him a death glare, which he seemingly missed.

'Where are you staying?' He asked after a few minutes.

'Why should I tell you?'

'Well unless you want to be wandering around the village with me all night…'

'Okay, I get it. I'm staying in the Grassland Apartments.' They were, thankfully, not very far from where we were, and I had never been so glad to see such a shabby, rundown building in all my life.

As I reached the steps, a stab of guilt jabbed through my stomach, and I reluctantly turned back to face the Uchiha. 'Erm, please thank your mother for me. And… Thanks for, you know. Walking me…'

I trailed of at his smirk. Thrusting the key into my door, I disappeared inside and slammed it shut with as much force as I could muster. Even then I was sure I could hear an amused, victorious laugh echoing around the street.

* * *

**A/N: Just wanted to point out, Itachi is slightly OOC I know, but to be honest, there would be no story if he wasn't.**

**Besides, this is before the Massacre back when he showed some sort of human emotion.**

**Gotta love him.**

**Thanks for reading anyway, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts! x**


	4. Wind Chakra Claw

**A/N: Another chapter, woo!**

**I'm being forced to go out tonight with my friends, so unfortunately won't be able to continue my pre-writing chapters.**

**Happy Easter by the way :D ...****Just another reason for me to get fat... -_-**

**Enjoy the chapter! :D x**

* * *

I didn't see the Uchiha boys again for the next couple of days, so I focused most of my attention on my training. It was tiring and frustrating, but I felt like I was missing something. Every time I thought I was close to successfully cutting straight through the tree trunk with my Wind Chakra Claw, I failed. It was as though it lost all of its power as soon as it made contact.

I had been having one of those days where everything goes wrong to the point where you genuinely question what you have done to deserve this. I had arrived at the clearing in the wood at the edge of the village again. I figured I could vent some of my anger on a poor, unsuspecting tree.

A faint rumble of thunder echoed through the forest and as a few small trickles of rain began to fall, I crouched down opposite my chosen target, channelling Chakra to my fist. Making a quick hand sign, I released the angry force and sent a boomerang of wind shooting towards the bark.

To my complete and utter dismay, the tree survived, predominantly unscathed.

'Damn it,' I growled, vaguely noting the rain becoming more persistent, and after several more attempts to shatter the Godforsaken trunk, I realised how intensely the storm above me was now raging.

Disappointed fury rippled through my body as I cursed myself for being so weak. _Can't even break through a stupid tree…_ I leaned forward with my hands on my legs as I panted, trying to catch my breath, and slowly, the rain began to mingle with my own feeble, salty droplets. I dropped to my knees and hung my head, water dripping from my soaked green locks.

A heart-felt sob ripped from my throat, and it was then that I realised I was no longer crying just because of my bad day. Today marked the 7th anniversary of my mother's death.

For a long time, I didn't move. Crumpled on the floor like a pathetic, quivering wreck. Hating myself for being so useless, for not being able to do anything, even when I was needed the most.

'Akira?' A familiar voice tore me out of wallowing in my self-loathing and pity.

I raised my head cautiously, but my eyes stared straight through him, unseeing. He came to kneel beside me and I felt something warm press against my icy forehead.

I moved my hand to slap it away but he caught it, and before I could protest, I felt my body go light as I was lifted from the ground. Too exhausted and too ashamed to respond, I squeezed my tear-soaked eyes closed and tried to steady my erratic heart as it pumped almost painfully in my chest.

A branch scratched against my shin and I hissed, wincing slightly. He mumbled a 'sorry' but continued walking. I was suddenly very aware of the chest I was held against, and I subconsciously leaned my head against the radiating heat. A strange sort of calm overtook my body, and I slowly started to drift into unconsciousness as everything went numb.

xXx

My eyelids fluttered and the harsh daylight burned my vision. I squinted and leaned forward rubbing my tender eyes, vaguely aware that I was lying on something soft. There were a few blissful moments where the horrors of the night before did not exist, but when it all came flooding back, it hit me pretty hard.

I leapt up from the mattress as I took in my surroundings. I was in my bedroom at my apartment, the curtains had been left open, but nothing seemed out of place. I glanced down at myself and briefly registered a fresh, thin red line on my shin. I also realised I was only wearing a loose T-shirt and my black knee-length leggings. _I must have woken up for long enough to change in the night…_

Sighing, I tried to recall the face from last night as I wandered into the kitchen in search of some breakfast.

I was about to reach for the handle when the sound of running water made me freeze. Someone else was here…

Taking a deep breath, I burst through the door, two chakra enhanced fists at the ready.

'Do try not to break down your own door, you moron.'

I blinked, stunned. The man had his back to me; his long black hair tied into a loose ponytail was hanging just between his shoulder blades. He turned to glance at me when I didn't respond, inky black irises regarding me lazily.

'W-what're you doing here?' I stuttered, taken aback.

'That's hardly any way to thank someone who saved you from pneumonia…' The cocky glint in his gaze returned, and I was instantly back on the defence.

'Hey, I never asked you to bring me back here… Did you stay all night?' I asked, still trying to figure out the situation.

'Yes,' He thought for a moment before continuing. 'I wasn't sure whether or not you'd die if I left you so rather than have your blood on my hands…'

'Alright I get it, jerk!' I tutted. 'Where did you sleep?'

'Couch.'

Then something else hit me and my eyes widened at the thought. 'Did you… change my clothes?!'

He smirked and I already dreaded the answer. 'Would you rather I left you to freeze? You're clothes were soaked to the bone and practically see-through anyway–'

'Itachi!' My voice hit a new octave I hadn't known I possessed.

'Relax, I didn't look, okay!'

'That's not the point! And how could you not have looked?!' My face was fast resembling that of a tomato and I swallowed hard to try to regain some composure.

Before I was about to give in and have a futile attempt of throttling the life out of the jackass that stood in my kitchen, a small plate was thrust into my hands.

'…What's this?'

'Breakfast.' He stated, pointedly.

I scowled. 'I hardly think Dango can be classed as breakfast.'

'Maybe not, but it should be,' He grinned uncharacteristically and pushed past me to take a seat in the living room.

I resisted the urge to throw my plate at him as he did, and instead managed to ground out, 'I never had you pegged as a sweet-tooth…'

'Hmm. You don't have me pegged as much though, do you?'

'Aren't your parents going to be worried about you?' I retorted, hinting for him to leave.

'I was out training late last night, they probably just think I fell asleep in the woods again.' The Uchiha shrugged. He didn't seem too bothered, only settling himself further into his cushion.

Forcing the anger back down into my gut, I reluctantly took a seat opposite him and bit into one of my dumplings.

I hadn't realised how hungry I was until I was staring down at the quickly polished plate. I was about to stand up to see if there was anything else I could eat, when the dreaded question arose.

'So, what were you doing out there?' I lifted my gaze to meet his. It was soft, all traces of humour evaporated into the atmosphere.

'I was… Training.' It wasn't a complete lie.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. 'What sort of training was that?'

I sighed and moved into the kitchen. Something about the way he was watching me was making me feel uneasy, like I was a wanted criminal about to attempt a great escape, dangerous and unpredictable.

I began to rinse my plate, vividly aware that he had followed me through.

'So that's it? No explanation?' His breath tickled the back of my neck and I flushed slightly wondering how close he was standing.

'Nope. Just training. Guess I got a little carried away.'

A plate appeared hovering over my shoulder, and I took it automatically to wash. He didn't speak again so I assumed he went back into the living room. When I finished I left the plates in the drainer and turned around to dry my hands, my face colliding with something hard.

Itachi raised an eyebrow again but didn't comment as I fumbled to remove my face from his chest, letting my fringe hang down to hide my once again pink cheeks.

I huffed and glared up at him. 'What is your problem?'

'I'm just wondering why you had a mental breakdown in my training grounds.'

I faltered slightly at this. '_Your_ training ground?'

'Well, more specifically my fathers. That forest is part of the Uchiha compound…' He trailed off mildly amused again as he realised I'd had no idea.

'And hey! I didn't breakdown, it was the rain!' I snapped.

He held his hands up in defence and backed away. 'Alright, alright. Whatever you say. I have to go help Sasuke with his Jutsu now,' he paused and something vaguely resembling humour flickered across his face. 'You can tag along if you like, maybe you'll learn about _real_ jutsu.'

'You know what! Maybe I will, just to wipe that smirk off your face, Uchiha!'

xXx

I leaned with my back against a training dummy, arms folded stubbornly across my chest as I glared at the brothers across the training ground. Itachi made a lightning fast hand sign that I just barely recognised as a fire style. I must have been right, as a giant twisting ball of scolding flames was fired across the field, leaving a trail of singed grass behind it.

I hid my amazement and simply continued to sulk from afar. Now it was Sasuke's turn.

His little hands moved almost as quickly as his brother's, and I had to admire his determination. Although, his jutsu was much more similar to a flickering candle light than a raging ball of fire. I made my way towards the pair, arriving beside them just in time to catch the end of Itachi's lecture.

'You have to maintain the Chakra throughout the whole jutsu, Sasuke. If you stop the force behind the flames, then there's nothing to continue forcing them forward and they just fizzle out like yours did.'

I frowned, maybe that's where I was going wrong with my Wind style. Though my jutsu came out much more powerful than the little Uchiha's, I couldn't help but wonder all the same and made a mental note to try that next time.

Sasuke tried again, this time creating a small draft along with his flame. I chuckled at his effort to look frustrated, causing him to glare up at me.

'You try it then, Akira!' He pulled a tongue out and I couldn't resist ruffling his hair.

'I'd love to, Sasuke but I don't use fire style.'

'So use your wind style.' My eyes snapped to the older brother. I was getting a sneaking suspicion that he saw more than just my mental breakdown the other night…

'Well, I–'

'You have wind style? Awesome! Please, let us see your jutsu!' The youngster put on his puppy dog eyes and I sighed in defeat.

'Fine…' I mumbled, irritated by his easy victory.

I wove my hands together and balled my chakra into a fist, this time careful to maintain the force behind my jutsu. The curved line of wind slicing through the air away from my thrust, and I was amazed to see it cut through two nearby tree trunks almost effortlessly.

I smirked at Sasuke's gaping face and flicked my eyes up to Itachi. He was smirking too, obviously aware that I'd just followed his instructions to his 8 year old brother.

I cursed inwardly but my pride didn't allow my expression to falter, and I chose this moment to make a very dignified exit, breaking into a sprint as soon as the forest had concealed me.

* * *

**A/N: I'm trying to make their relationship blossom in a realistic way... Well, as close to realistic as Naruto gets.**

**So that's why it's slow moving, but plent of fluff in this chapter! I hope...**

**Let me know what you think! :D x**


	5. First to Three

**A/N: Keeping to my word so far, really trying to keep to daily updates.**

**You get a lot of background on Akira in this one, but there's still a few tufts of fluff dotted around the chapter if you squint.**

**Enjoy anyway! :D**

* * *

The following morning, I found myself sitting on a small, arched bridge over a winding stream that ran through the East side of Konaha. There was a selection of peachy pink blossom trees arranged neatly along the water banks, and a string of Chinese style lanterns hanging across the water. It was very picturesque.

I smiled to myself as the Uchiha I was seated by babbled on about how his medical ninjutsu had been improving lately, despite the fact that he had been busy working for the police force a lot. He was quite obviously pleased with himself for still being able to find time to practice.

Shisui rarely paused for breath, and only occasionally glanced to check that I was still listening. In all honesty, it was hard not to.

I had awoken that morning to a loud banging on my door, and had been pleasantly surprised to see my first friend from Konaha on my doorstep.

His excuse being that this was his only day off in weeks, and that he was going to make the most of the good weather. His excuse for bringing me was that I rarely got out the house and that it would do me good get some training-free fresh air. I did tell him that if he merely wanted some company all he needed to do was ask.

So here we were. I swung my legs over the edge of the bridge and let my eyelids droop lazily as the warm sun beat down on my back.

'–and I had figured I could probably put a few more hours in here and there but now that the push comes to shove I'm actually thinking about taking them back… What d'you think?'

'Hm? Oh, your hours at the police force? Well it can't hurt to go back to your normal hours, now that you have more to deal with.'

'Yeah I suppose. Hey, Akira?'

'Yes, Shisui?' I looked over to the red swirling eyes of the Uchiha who was leaning his back against the bridge railing. His expression remained light, but there was a flicker of emotion in those red eyes that I couldn't quite identify.

'Is everything alright with you?'

My brows knitted together in confusion. 'Of course, why do you ask that?'

He looked away awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. 'Well, I don't mean to pry, but I saw Itachi last night… And he seemed kinda distracted so I kept asking him what was wrong and then…'

'He told you about the other night, huh?' I said in a quiet voice. His silence confirmed my thoughts, and I closed my eyes with a small smile. 'Am I to assume everything that happens between your cousin and I will inevitably make its way back to you?'

He seemed a little hurt by this and lowered his gaze to the floor. 'I just think it's better to get things off your chest. You shouldn't keep things bottled up all the time. It's not healthy…'

I sighed. I liked Shisui, he always seemed genuinely concerned and always wanted to make people feel better, which is part of the reason why I told him. The other part, was that just maybe, I had found someone that I really wanted to trust. 'When I was five, my parents had a pretty bad break up. I'm originally from a travelling race, and when they had me they decided to stop in one place. My mother couldn't stand the feeling of being tied down to one town, said it bored her. Made her feel trapped. My dad didn't agree, and they argued a lot. In the end though, she left him. She took me with her, and then just after I turned 6, we found out that he… He'd killed himself.'

I glanced at the Uchiha, who was watching me carefully, his red eyes softening as I spoke.

'My mother was wracked with guilt, and a couple of weeks later, she couldn't take it anymore.' I rested my chin on my hands and watched the gentle stream trickling over its rocky bed. 'They found her body that night, but they never found me. I snuck out the back just before they arrived… They didn't even know I existed.'

I caught a small pink petal as it drifted away from an over hanging branch, and stroked it carefully in my palm. 'I didn't stop walking for two days straight, eventually passing out from exhaustion, lost in the woods at night. But, that's when I met Tsuchi, and she practically raised me as her own from then…' I trailed off, my eyes snapping open as I realised I'd said too much.

'Tsuchi?' Shisui tilted his head slightly at the name, something sparking his memory. 'I think Sasuke mentioned someone by that name the other day…'

I gasped silently, praying that the little Uchiha hadn't said too much. 'My adoptive mother, if you like.' I said, a bit too quickly.

If Shisui noticed my sudden nerves, he didn't comment. He simply turned around so that his legs joined mine in dangling over the edge of the bridge. 'So the other night…?'

I bowed my head. 'It was seven years ago the other day…'

For a moment, I didn't think he would respond, but Shisui being Shisui managed to surprise me again. Leaping to his feet, he stuck his hand out and flashed me a grin. 'Come on, let's go!'

'Where are we going?' I asked confused, but I took his hand all the same and let him pull me to my feet.

'We're going to cheer you up, obviously! My treat.' He winked and tugged on my hand, hauling me through the village towards the same ramen shop I had taken Sasuke after the festival.

xXx

Shisui was right, I did feel much better after eating. He was right about getting things off my chest too. There was just something about that Uchiha that made me feel extremely comfortable around him, like I'd known him all my life.

We ended up heading to the training ground afterwards, where we met up with Itachi, who was practicing the Fireball Jutsu again. From what I'd heard of the Uchiha clan they were all pretty much genius', and Shisui had explained to me earlier of his older cousin's position, being the eldest son in the head family, and of him being a child prodigy. Typical.

I had decided to try to teach myself Wind Chakra Claw in both hands, and I paused, gasping for breath after three immensely failed attempts.

'What, three bursts all you're good for?' Mr Prodigy mocked while I panted.

I shot him a glared and countered. 'I'm obviously just working harder than you!'

Shisui jumped in to halt our banter before we got out of hand. Again. 'Okay you two, I have an idea.'

We both eyed him suspiciously. He had a certain glint in his crimson orbs that I didn't think I was going to like.

XXx

'The rules are simple, stay inside the ring, first one to three points wins.' The oldest Uchiha stroked his chin thoughtfully before adding, 'and don't kill each other. Go!'

So what was his oh-so-brilliant idea? A first to three spar between Itachi and myself. His reason? It will help us release our tension in a fair and legal way. Child prodigy Vs Orphaned weakling. I hardly call this fair…

Itachi moved first, charging forward in mockingly slow movements. He stopped in front of me twisting his body slightly to the side, and lifted his leg closest to me in a fashion that was obviously to kick out. I braced myself in a block, crossing my arms over my chest. His foot collided roughly were my elbows met, sending my flailing backwards, out of the ring, and into a training dummy.

'Point one to Itachi…' Shisui laughed at my murderous expression and I leapt to my feet and re-entered the ring. 'Round two!'

This time I was ready, bringing my hands together and channelling my chakra.

'Wind style: Wind Chakra Claw!' I practically growled as I thrust my boomerang shaped jutsu forward, hissing when he dodged at the last minute. I debated for a second on whether we were allowed to use summons creatures, but Itachi's next move answered for me.

I gasped as a large flock of ebony feathers surrounded me and as the crows began to block my view, I thrashed wildly, trying to swallow my panic. Before I could gain composure, something hard connected with my stomach and once again, I was flung from the ring.

I snarled, infuriated, and stared into the blood red gaze of the arrogant jerk standing opposite me, who was barely suppressing his smirk. He knew his Sharingan Genjutsu didn't affect me, but I guessed he was probably using it to read my chakra all the same.

'Two for Itachi, round three, begin!'

I didn't waste a second. I nipped at my thumb drawing a tiny spec of blood, and slammed my palm full force against the grassy floor.

I grinned when the smoke cleared, thankful to see the giant black and red wolf named Demon. His ruby eyes flashed pure hatred as they picked up the slightly stunned gaze of the Uchiha opposite me.

'Akira… This boy…' He growled, obviously recognising Itachi's Kekkei Genkai. I felt a slight pang of guilt for repeatedly calling the giant wolf whenever I was around the Uchiha boys. I leapt onto his back, my hands fisting into his rough fur. I glanced at Shisui, whose mouth had now formed a small 'o' shape.

Grinning again, I spoke to my summon. 'Sorry, but try not to eat him, Akuma,'

His lips curled into a wolfy smile. 'No promises.'

He leapt forward at Itachi, who looked completely unsure of how to react. He dodged neatly of course, landing behind us as Akuma spun on his back legs and crouched, ready to pounce again.

The Uchiha's hands flickered through the Fire style signals, and I copied him with my Wind style. I stood up and balanced on Akuma's shoulders, sending chakra through my feet and into my summons body and felt a familiar surge of his foreign chakra course through my veins in response. Just as the fireball was sent spinning in our direction, Akuma threw his head back and gave a deafening howl, releasing his chakra into the air in the process. I pushed my power forward meeting his in a cross, and a monster-sized shuriken of wind was sent spiralling into the centre towards the fiery vortex.

The two jutsu exploded on collision, sending us all hurtling out of the ring, and even knocking Shisui backwards slightly.

When the air finally cleared, I realised I had landed on my wolf friend, and I scrabbled to get to the floor. I turned to face him and rubbed behind one red-tipped ear as my thanks.

Akuma bowed his head in response, rumbling something incoherent about Uchihas, before he vanished beneath my hand.

I glanced around the clearing. Itachi was already on his feet, but on closer inspection my expression grew smug. He looked as though he had seen better days. I got to my feet and moved to where Shisui was leaning against a tree, giving me an almost sympathetic expression.

'As impressive as that was, Akira, you were thrown from the ring too. Which means…'

The thought had crossed my mind. Point three to Itachi. But I didn't care, it was worth it just to see that asshole flung across the training ground.

I smiled at the referee. 'I know.'

Itachi came over to join us rubbing his shoulder. 'Summon wolves, huh? I've never seen one of them before.'

I started to wonder just how much he knew about the wolf history, but shrugged it off figuring he was just genuinely curious. 'They're very dependable when you have their trust.'

'I've never heard of anyone being able to tame them…' Itachi trailed off as my eyebrows knitted together, offended.

'I haven't _tamed_ them!' I spat the words out, furious at the assumption. 'They trust me and they're extremely loyal, they're like a family to me!'

'Family?' Shisui cocked his head to the side and I thought back to our earlier conversation.

'Erm, well, that's how I feel around them… I feel safe… Protected. Like a family does,' I tried to change the subject and turned back to Itachi. 'Anyway your shoulder looks pretty sore. You might wanna get that checked out.' He shot me a glare as I turned to leave, I waved over my shoulder, shouting back, 'Maybe next time, Uchiha!' They knew which one I was talking to.

The pair watched me go, and just before I was out of sight, I heard Itachi sigh to his cousin. 'What a weird girl…'

I smirked at his comment and continued to skip home.

* * *

**A/N: So far there hasn;t been any reviews so I'm hoping that's a good sign.**

**You'd tell me if it sucked, right?**

**Anyway, there's lots more fluff in the next few chapters to make up for the lack of it in this one :)**

**Also, I'm still beta-ing for myself cause I'm too lazy to force anyone else to read it, so please forgive any mistakes I've missed.**

**Thanks again for reading! See you in chapter 6! x**


	6. Rescued

**A/N: Oh no! I only have one more pre-written chapter ahead of this one!**

**I'm a bad person :( But never fear! I shall force myself to carry on.**

**You probably all think I have no life outside fanfiction since I pretty much write everyday and update each night... Well the truth is, you're right. That is literally all I do.**

**Though I do occasionally take a night out to make an AMV for youtube. My channel is on my profile if anyone is mildly interested.**

**Who am I kidding...**

**On with the chapter! Enjoy :)**

* * *

As the next three weeks went by, I grew closer and closer to the three Uchiha boys. Sasuke and I had formed a sort of sibling-like attachment and he once confided that his mother was also very fond of me. I had smiled at that. I liked Mikoto, she was gentle and kind-hearted, and reminded me of everything I imagined a mother should be.

Itachi and I shared many more three point matches, but I had not called Akuma again since our first spar. Shisui thought it best to change the rules to 'strictly Taijutsu only', which would have been fine, had it not been my greatest weakness. Needless to say, I lost every time.

However there was one thing that did surprise me. Despite my constant failures, I was greeted less and less by that cocky smirk that Mr Prodigy often wore at the end of our matches. It almost made me start to respect him. Almost.

One night, as I walked home alone from helping Sasuke train, I shuddered as the cool breeze grazed across my bare arms. It had taken far too much to convince my Uchiha friends that I was perfectly capable of finding my own way home safely. My argument was that, should I happen to trip on an invisible obstacle and break my ankle in the process for example, I could easily summon Akuma to come to my rescue and carry me back. I had not, however, planned for the situation that was about to unfold before me.

There was a full moon tonight, and as I stared up at the dark sky, I found myself deep in thought about my days with my 'adoptive mother'.

Tsuchi, a giant, pure white summoning wolf, had been wandering the forest hunting deer, when she had come across an unconscious, green-haired 6 year old. Her maternal nature had finally persuaded her to take me in, and she carried me on her soft, snowy back, all the way to her den where her two cubs, Kirai and Akuma had been waiting.

'Young lady,' a rough voice severed my thoughts, and I glanced to my side to see a tall, pale man, perhaps in his late forties, beckoning at me from the shadow of a narrow alleyway. I squinted in the dim light and felt my heart rate pick up as I took in his appearance, broken and haggard.

'Are you hurt?' I asked quickly, moving forward and offering an outstretched hand to assist him. Before I realised what was happening he had grabbed my wrist and I was wrenched into the darkness, pinned against the concrete wall.

A rush of panic rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down hard and tried to keep my voice calm. 'I-if you're injured I c-can help you?' I scowled inwardly at my stutter.

'Maybe you _can_ help me…' His breath was foul and coated with alcohol, and I had the sinking feeling that I had just done something very, very stupid.

His hands were positioned on either one of my shoulders, forbidding any movement as his muscular body pressed against my front. I sucked in a deep breath and tried again. 'L-look, Sir, if you need some assistance I'd m-much prefer it to be under the street l-lights…'

He sneered at me, but didn't reply. His brought his head closer until it was mere inches from mine, and one of his hands began to travel down my side, resting on my waist. I stole a quick glance at the abandoned main street and parted my lips to shout for help, but before I could muster any sound into my vocal chords, a rough, forceful hand clamped over my mouth.

My sapphire eyes, now wide with terror, flickered helplessly around the narrow passage, desperately searching for something – anything – to use in defence. Drawing a blank, I reluctantly shifted my gaze back to the man in front of me, pleading silently as the hand by my waist began to hoist up the hem of my shirt.

I tried to shuffle away, but I was completely trapped against the wall and his grip over my mouth tightened until it hurt. A muffled a cry slipped from my mouth as cool, wandering fingers met the warmth of my back.

All of a sudden, something flashed behind him, and I was yanked sideways and thrown to the floor. I heard the man start to swear but it was abruptly halted by a loud thud, and then replaced by a series of spluttering coughs.

I scrambled backwards and leapt to my feet, squinting through the shadows just in time to see the man slump to the floor and go silent.

What felt like another hand suddenly gripped my arm from behind, and I let out a startled yelp, spinning round.

'Shh, Akira! It's alright.' The figure stepped back, holding his hands up in surrender. A tidal wave of pure relief surged through me as I stared into the striking red irises standing before me.

'I-Itachi!' He didn't say anything else, just snatched my hand and dragged me out of the darkness and in the direction of home.

He didn't say a word all the way there either, and when we finally entered my apartment, he flung me into the living room and stared me right in the eyes, his scarlet orbs piercing my very soul. He looked… angry?

I shifted awkwardly under his glare. 'Umm, Itachi… Thank–'

'Don't you dare even think about thanking me.' He seethed. I flinched at his exclamation, feeling slightly hurt and confused.

'But I… I don't understand why you're so mad–'

'How could you be so _stupid_? You pretty much just invited some sick, pervert to…' He shook his head in disgust and changed his angle. 'What the hell were you thinking?'

'W-well I thought he was injured… He looked like he was asking for help… I couldn't just ignore–'

'Did you not even consider your situation?'

I blinked. 'Of course I did… I'm a ninja so I figured it would be okay–'

He laughed humourlessly, cutting me off once again. 'Some ninja, I didn't see much self-defence going on back there–'

'I was getting to it okay! I just… Froze up… I was _going_ to fight back!'

'Tsk.' He turned away from me and for a minute, I thought he was going to leave. When he made no further moves, I shuffled over to sit on the couch and looked down at my feet, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

'Sorry…' I mumbled. I wasn't quite sure why I was apologising, but it seemed to have softened his expression when he glanced back at me. He sighed loudly and came to sit on the couch beside me, his eyes never leaving mine. I stared back nervously, wondering if I was supposed to expand on my apology.

Finally, he spoke quietly, his voice strained and hurt. 'You're lucky I came after you.'

My eyebrows scrunched slightly, I hadn't even thought about how he found me. To be honest I was just glad he did.

He read my puzzled expression and explained. 'I couldn't shake the feeling that letting you walk back alone was a bad idea, so I dropped Sasuke at the compound and set off to check you'd got home okay. I wouldn't have found you if I hadn't heard you struggling. I thought I'd imagined it at first but then when I activated my Sharingan and I saw you in that alley…' He trailed off, his hand balling into a fist on his knee.

I didn't really know what to say. Of course I was relieved that he'd come after me but I still couldn't understand why he was so _annoyed_ with me. Maybe he was just angry with how weak I was, and that he'd had to waste his time saving me when he could have been at home with Sasuke and his parents.

'I didn't mean to cause so much trouble,' I started, but his eyes snapped back up to mine, having regained their natural ebony shade, but they weren't cold and harsh like before. They were soft, with flecks of an emotion I couldn't quite place. Sadness? Concern?

'He could have killed you…'

My breath hitched in my throat at his words. The thought never even crossed my mind, and I stared at him in silent shock as the harsh reality was revealed to my innocent mind. It had always been a problem, I trusted too easily.

Itachi's cast his eyes to his fist, and I suddenly felt the peculiar need to comfort him. I inched closer to him on the couch and placed a gentle hand on his. I felt it relax beneath my palm and it turned upwards, his fingers slowly wrapping around my own.

We stayed like that for what seemed to be hours, until eventually I felt my eyelids start to droop. My head leaned forward as a ripple of exhaustion streamed through me from the long, eventful day. He shifted slightly so that my head was touching his shoulder as we leaned back against the couch. I finally allowed myself to gradually drift into unconsciousness.

xXx

When I awoke the next morning, I was in my room and it briefly crossed my mind that I really must have been shattered not to wake up when I was moved. I made to roll onto my side when I realised there was something draped over my stomach, preventing my movement. I blinked rapidly as I realised it was an arm, and as I turned to the side, my face came nose-to-nose with Itachi Uchiha.

My heart skipped a beat as I assessed the situation. I didn't want to wake him, who knows how that conversation would go. I shook my head internally and eased myself into a sideways sitting position, carefully lifting his arm as I did so. _Had he done this in his sleep?_

I gazed down at the sleeping male, my hand reaching out sub-consciously to move a strand of black hair from his face. I flushed a light pink colour at my strange action, and hurried to the bathroom to wash, grabbing some clothes to change into as I went.

When I emerged several minutes later, I had a flicker of déjà vu as I found him in the kitchen, once again making breakfast.

'Are you always this domestic, or is it just when you stay here?' I smirked and leaned on the doorframe, watching him fill the kettle up.

He shot me a do-you-want-breakfast-or-not look, and I chuckled before opening the cupboard and pulling out two mugs.

'Hey, Itachi? Umm, about last night…'

'Don't mention it.'

'But I just wanted to thank you…'

'I know.'

I shuffled awkwardly having been shot down, before he sighed and pulled my chin up to look at him. He looked like he was about to speak, when something flickered in his eyes and I gasped as his lips met mine in one fast, smooth motion. It was soft and soothing, and gone too soon. He pulled away as quickly as he'd come, wandering over to where the kettle was now whistling aggressively, as if nothing had happened.

I stood there, frozen on the spot, trying to register what had just happened. I don't know how long I was standing there for, but I jumped a foot in the air when a plate of bacon sandwiches was pushed under my nose. I visibly shook my head out of the trance and took the plate with a small, forced smile.

We ate in a silence that was neither comfortable nor awkward, sitting beside each other on the couch. I had my legs crossed on the cushion, with my plate balanced in my lap, but I still managed to spill crumbs all over the seat. When I stood up to brush them off, he broke the tension.

'You sure are a messy eater, for a girl.'

'No need to be sexist about it!' I frowned, but I was glad that he'd finally spoken.

After clearing the plates away he glanced at the clock before his eyes landed on me.

'I should be going, my mother will be up the wall with worry by now…'

'Oh no, I didn't even think!'

'You don't do a lot of that, do you?'

I punched him lightly on the arm and I was mildly surprised he didn't block it. 'Whatever…' I mumbled, unable to come up with anything wittier.

As soon as the door was closed behind him I shrunk down with my back against the frame, my hand shooting to my mouth. _Did I imagine that? It couldn't have meant anything… A simple, spur-of-the-moment gesture, probably to shut me up._

My mind wandered to poor Mikoto, stressing about her eldest son's absence and presumed lack of explanation, once again. I shuddered as unwelcome memories of the previous night threatened to resurface, and I headed to the bathroom to shower and clear my head.

* * *

**A/N: N'awww gotta love little fluffy moments. And yes, this chapter is very cliché, and I can assure you, the next one is even more so.**

**I'm a cheesy person who loves a bit of fluff. Sue me.**

**See you at tomorrow's chapter! Feel free to review with any ideas you have for me :) x**


	7. Horror Movie

**A/N: Greetings!**

**Another chapter! And, I've been very good and pre-written two chapters today, so I've done up to chapter 9. It's quite a sad chapter really, but we'll get to that all in good time.**

**Enjoy! x**

* * *

The next time I saw the older Uchiha brother, after our little incident, was two days later. Shisui had arranged for a movie night at his apartment, excluding Sasuke due to certain age restrictions, much to his objection. It hadn't taken long for a lengthy, complicated and unnecessary debate to commence, about everything ranging from genre to duration. The boys won of course, leaving me stuck with a sting of boring action films and horror movies. Both of which I hate.

'I've seen this one loads, can't we skip to the next one?' Shisui complained, shoving his hand in the bowl of popcorn I had very kindly offered to bring.

'It's halfway through now, so there's no point. Besides, Akira hasn't seen it before.'

I rolled my eyes at the younger Uchiha. 'I really couldn't care less, Itachi…'

'That's the spirit!' Shisui patted my shoulder and sprung off the sofa to change the DVD. I glared at him as he did so, trying to burn holes in the back of his head with my eyes.

They had graced me with a small, frumpy cushion on the floor in front of them, so when Itachi chuckled from his position on the couch, the brilliant idea to jump into Shisui's seat before he could return to it sprung to mind. As it happened, it wasn't the best idea I had come up with, since he then proceeded to sit right on top of me when he finished setting the next film up.

I was scooched in between the two and left grumbling about how I always got the worst seat and that Uchiha's had no manners.

The film that he had chosen was the one I was dreading the most, and I shifted uncomfortably as the opening began. It was a horror movie, with a rather unflattering portrait of a bloodied china doll as the cover image.

I glanced either side of me and was suddenly glad that I had ended up in the middle, not that they were much help. I jabbed my elbows into their sides to in a fruitless attempt of wiping the smirks off their faces, but only succeeding in widening them.

My pride had forbidden me from admitting that I was a massive wimp, and my stubbornness refused to allow me to cover my eyes or look away. To make things worse, Shisui had switched the lights off to 'increase dramatic effect', and I had mentally responded that there would still be far too dramatic effect even if it was broad daylight for my liking.

_Why do I get myself into these things?_ I frowned at my inability to fight my own case.

'Have you guys seen this before?' I figured a bit of light conversation throughout the movie, may be just enough to distract me from the inevitable nightmares that lay ahead.

'Yeah.' They responded simultaneously.

'Then why are we watching it?' I huffed, crossing my arms like a spoilt child.

'Because it's a good film, now shh!' Itachi waved a hand dismissively in my direction, and I gave a very unladylike scowl in response through the darkness. _So much for light conversation…_

The film was much worse than the description made out, lasting a full three hours of endless tension and torture. When it was finally over, I let out the breath I had pretty much been holding throughout the entire ordeal, and went for the light.

'What are you doing?' Shisui tilted his head questioningly.

'Turning the light back on… It's finished now, hasn't it?'

'Yeah, but we've got a few more to watch yet!'

I gawped at him, before shaking my head aggressively and almost knocking myself off-balance. 'As much as I'd love to I should be getting back, it's already half 10–'

'You aren't scared, are you?' Itachi sneered at me.

'No!' I snapped back immediately. Then a thought struck me, and I decided to go for the sympathy vote that I knew Itachi would understand. 'I just don't wanna be walking home on my own any later than this… It's already dark outside so–'

'You don't need to walk home, you can both stay over. I have a few spare sleeping bags you can use in the back room.' Once again, I gaped at the older Uchiha, desperately wracking my brains for an excuse. Before I could come up with anything intelligible, Itachi spoke again.

'If you really want, we can watch that soppy anime you mentioned before.' His cousin didn't seem to object at this, so I perked up temporarily before frowning at his description. Princess Mononokoe wasn't soppy in the slightest. In all honesty I just liked the film because there were wolves in it, and the largest white wolf reminded me of Tsuchi.

Sighing, I surrendered. 'Fine. But that's the last one I'm watching tonight.'

XXx

When the anime ended, I had to carefully edge my way out from underneath Shisui's sleeping head that had found its way to my shoulder. I let him slump onto the cushions and wandered into the hall to find a blanket to throw over him. When I returned, Itachi was nowhere to be seen, and I shrugged, assuming he had gone to claim Shisui's bed before I could. Classic.

I tucked the blanket in around the Uchiha's shoulders, smiling slightly at the way his mouth hung open as he slept. He looked much younger, lying there peacefully, and if I didn't know any better I'd have called him innocent looking. _Yeah right…_

Tearing my gaze away, I padded into the back rooms in search of the sleeping bags Shisui had mentioned, turning lights on through the apartment as I went. There was something mildly eerie about the unfamiliar rooms, and I tried to push my nerves to the back of my mind and concentrate on the less daunting film we had just watched. I entered the spare bedroom and went to flip the light on, but my fingers froze against the empty wall as I realised there was no obvious switch.

I swallowed slowly, fighting the urge to panic. This is why I didn't watch horror films, they just filled my mind with ridiculous imaginings that I know deep down are never going to happen. I stumbled along the wall, fingers tracing the crinkled wallpaper and eyes bulging, as though I thought the wider they were, the clearer I could see.

When I reached the window on the far side of the room, I stopped and squinted around the dark room. Something wasn't right…

At this point, my heart was beating so violently that I was surprised it didn't wake Shisui. My eyes darted around the room, assessing the shadows and turning them into shapes that were starting to resemble people. I was suddenly very aware of something moving in the doorway, and my breath hitched sharply in my throat as I stared.

The figure prowled forward silently towards me, and as a strange bulky shadow extended from the form towards me, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

I yelped and lashed my hand out, sending the bulky object hurtling across the room. The figure jumped back, apparently startled from my outburst, and I flinched as the room was suddenly flooded with light.

'What the hell are you doing, you moron?!'

I blinked swiftly as my eyes readjusted. My cheeks flushed a deep magenta as I registered the unknown figure as Itachi, and the bulky object, that I had so elegantly whacked into the wall, as a now unravelled sleeping bag.

'I-I… T-there was no… I couldn't see the…' I stuttered awkwardly, trying to avoid the judging crimson gaze from across the room.

'Alright, don't hurt yourself. Forget I asked.' He frowned and closed an eye, turning his head to the side to watch me with one red iris. 'Will you take the damn sleeping bag already?'

'Oh! R-right…' I shuffled to the corner and spread out my temporary bed beneath the window, keeping my head down and burying my chin in my neck.

When I was settled, I noticed Itachi had mirrored my action across the room, and I frowned slightly. 'Did Shisui wake up?'

'No, why?'

'Oh. I just thought you would sleep in his room since he was on the couch…'

The Uchiha smirked, deactivating his Sharingan. 'I was going to, but after that little display I don't think you'd make it through the night alone without giving yourself a heart-attack.'

Blushing furiously, I shimmied further into the sleeping bag, trying to bury my shame. I should have known he would figure it out since, it wasn't exactly discrete…

I heard him sigh as he stood up to turn off the light, and I watched him reach for a string dangling from ceiling at the side of the door. _Of course it wasn't a normal light switch…_ My eyebrow twitched irritably at the realisation.

When the darkness once again consumed us, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on my breathing and the occasional shuffling of material. After a while, I felt myself just starting to relax when Itachi spoke up, startling me.

'Were you really that scared before?'

'Well I wasn't just doing it for the good of my health, was I?' I snapped.

He was quiet for a moment, before another shuffling sound reached my ears. When he spoke again, his voice sounded much closer.

'I didn't mean to sneak up on you…' He trailed off and I rolled onto my side to face him, not that I could see his expression.

'Does your Sharingan help you see in the dark?' I asked, changing the subject when I sensed his discomfort.

'Not exactly, it allows me to see chakra, so I could see where you were. Plus I've been to Shisui's a few times so I was familiar with the layout.' He answered, surprisingly honestly.

'Oh.'

We fell into a more comfortable silence, and I briefly wondered if he had fallen asleep.

'Akira?'

'Hm?'

'How did you come to have a summons contract with wolves?'

I blinked at the strange question. 'Umm, they looked after me, sort of… When I was little just after my parents passed away.'

'…I didn't know.'

'Don't worry. It was a long time ago. Why do you ask?'

'I was just curious. I did some research into the wolf clan after our first three-point match. They're very secluded creatures and I couldn't find anyone on record that held a contract with them except one person…'

'I don't know anyone else with a contract with them either actually.'

He started to answer but stopped abruptly and hesitated, as if debating whether or not to say something. 'It wasn't you…' He started slowly.

I frowned through the darkness. 'What wasn't?'

'The person with the summons contract. It wasn't you that I found…'

I rolled back onto my back and stared at the ceiling, brows knitting together in confusion. The wolves were very private, protective creatures. They barely trusted other animals let alone humans. I was the only exception I knew of, and that was purely because I was pretty much one of them anyway, since they raised me.

'Who was it?'

'The contract was broken.' He ignored my question and continued on his recollection. 'There wasn't much information to go on, but from what I could gather, they must have done something unforgivable, breaking the wolves' trust in humans and ultimately their personal contract. They've never held another agreement with anything that doesn't have four legs and a tail. Except you…'

'So that's why…' I broke off and lost myself in thought. I briefly debated asking Akuma next time I saw him, but decided that if it was something important, he would have either already told me, or had a good reason not to. Besides that, I had an inkling of who the stranger was that Itachi was talking about.

'We're talking about two hundred years ago, by the way.'

'Oh…' I relaxed at this fact. It only confirmed my thoughts on who it was, dating way back to the first generation of the wolf clan and also the reason why Akuma held such hatred for the Uchiha. I sighed and closed my eyes, giving myself in for a restless night of tossing and turning.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, this is another very cliché chapter. I actually got the idea from myself being a massive wimp when I watched Season 1 of the walking dead. Why do I do it to myself?**

**Anyway. I hope you liked it anyway, and I shall see you in chapter 8, don't forget to review if you're liking the story so far :D x**


	8. The Uchiha Celebrations

**A/N: Okay in this chapter things start to go downhill. It's leading up to an event I have planned, but don't worry it gets better.**

**Hope you like this chapter, I've been bad again and not written number 10.**

**I went shopping instead and spent the last of my pennies on two pairs of beautiful shoes.**

**Not that I needed them... I already have 51 pairs...**

**ANYWAY. I also need to rename this story cause the title is horrific. Suggests welcome!**

**Enjoy :D x**

* * *

'I really think you should go, dear. You'll enjoy yourself when you're there,' Mikoto smiled warmly at me from where she was standing by the sink.

'But I'm not an Uchiha, Mikoto-san,' I picked up the next plate that had been drying in the dish drainer and began to rub it gently with my tea towel.

'You don't have to be, you just have to reside in the village.'

'I won't know anyone though…'

'Of course you will, both my boys will be there and I know Shisui will be attending! Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to meet some new people.'

I was fighting a losing battle. Mikoto had invited me around for afternoon tea, a seemingly innocent request, but this was a woman on a mission. She had been hinting about the great, annual Uchiha celebration non-stop, and as fond as I was of her, she really didn't know when to quit. The gathering was to commemorate the establishment of their clan, dating right back to their roots and, I quote, 'everyone who's anyone was to attend'.

Sasuke, who was perched on the worktop beside his mother, had been giving me his sweetest, pleading expression throughout the whole conversation, and it was beginning to get to me.

'Akira?'

I sighed and turned my attention to the little Uchiha. 'Yes, Sasuke?'

'Do you not like us anymore? Is that why you won't go?'

My eyebrow twitched at his new tactic. Mikoto chuckled at my expression and finally, I rolled my eyes, stacking the plate I had been drying into the cupboard. 'Fine, I'll go.'

Sasuke leapt from his perch, an excited grin stretching from ear to ear. 'You won't regret it, Akira! It'll be really fun, you'll see!'

xXx

So far, I did regret it, and it wasn't fun. I scanned the bustling room until my gaze landed longingly on the glowing green exit sign. I briefly debated whether I could manage to escape before Mikoto spotted me, but a quick glance in her direction convinced me against it.

She was facing me, leaning casually against a long, thin table that was littered with scraps of leftover buffet food. Her floor-length navy dress hung delicately around her figure as the older woman she was laughing with gestured to her outfit.

Sighing, I headed towards the bathroom. When I entered, I leaned my hands against the sink and glared at my reflection. _What the hell am I doing here?_

The door swung open and a trio of chattering girls around my age, gathered in front of the mirror beside me, giggling and redoing their make-up.

'He's here! Did you see him?' The first one spoke, running her hands through short blonde hair and looking a little flustered.

'I know, he looks so _hot_ in that black shirt!' Her brunette friend squealed.

'Hana, you're so right… Does this look too much?' A taller girl with caramel coloured hair turned to the others, pointing to her now darkly shaded eyes.

'Kaya, you always look too much!' The blonde smirked.

'At least I actually wore something that covers my underwear, Nika!'

Nika glowered at her, and the third, Hana, quickly stepped in between them. 'Alright you two, come on we better get back out there otherwise he won't notice _any_ of us!'

They left hurriedly and I wandered out after them, vaguely interested in who it was they were talking about. My ears filled with the buzzing of the crowd as it drowned out the barely audible hum of the music in the bathroom. I soon lost track of the three I had intended to follow, and found myself alone again.

I was about to give up searching, when my eyes locked with familiar black irises from across the room. He was leaning beside his mother, apparently uninterested in the conversation before him, and I gave him a small smile in acknowledgement.

A voice from in front of me filtered through the mass that I recognised as Kaya. I turned my head slightly in an attempt to distract myself from ear wigging, but I couldn't help it.

'Oh my God, he's so _perfect_!'

'He's looking our way! Kaya! He's walking over!' I thought she was about to start hyperventilating and I rolled my eyes at her overreaction.

'Nika, shut up! Act cool remember!' There was a pause before she spoke again, her voice thick with disappointment. 'Aww, he didn't even _look_ at us…'

'Who is _that_?'

I frowned at Nika's sudden hostility and turned around curiously. I was met by a dark pair of onyx eyes, and I blinked wondering if this was the boy they had been talking about.

'Akira, I didn't think you were coming.'

'I wasn't.' I huffed. 'Mikoto-san convinced me… With the help of your stubborn little brother, of course.'

Itachi grinned, clearly amused by my discomfort. 'Of course. Have you seen Shisui?'

'No, I didn't know he was here.'

'I don't think he is. Maybe he had to work late…' He trailed off, thinking. I was about to ask if everything was okay, when he broke out of his trance suddenly, and grabbed my hand. 'Come on, let's go get you a drink.'

He tugged me to the drinks stand, walking straight past the three gawping girls without giving them a single glance.

He started to pour me an apple juice as I fiddled with my dress. It was a strapless number, with turquoise, satin material gathered and fitted from my chest to my waist where it flowed out into a navy, knee-length lacy skirt.

Itachi handed me the drink, which I accepted all too quickly. I glugged the juice gratefully and smirked through the glass when I noticed his raised eyebrow.

'Thirsty?'

'Not anymore, thank you,' I grinned. It was then that I noticed quite a few sets of eyes on us, and I shifted uncomfortably at the sudden attention. When I spoke again, I kept my voice low, barely over a whisper. 'Itachi, why is everybody staring at us?'

He shrugged. 'They've probably just never seen me willingly talk to anyone outside the clan before.'

I cocked my head slightly, my eyebrows meeting in the middle in confusion. 'Why not?'

'I guess I've never really been interested in anyone else before.'

'So you're interested in me, huh?' I jumped at the opportunity to tease him, but when I met his gaze, his expression was far from playful.

Before I could question him, someone jumped me from behind, flinging their arms around my waist and nuzzling their face into my back. 'Akira! You're here!'

I laughed, half from shock, and turned around to greet the littlest Uchiha.

'Well, you didn't really give me much choice, did you?' I patted him on the head and beamed at him. He was wearing a plain black shirt that matched his brother's, tucked into beige coloured chinos. 'You look very smart, Sasuke!'

He grinned and puffed up his chest proudly. 'I like your hair…' He tilted his head to address his brother. 'She looks like mother on her wedding day, doesn't she, 'tachi?'

Itachi glanced at my messy bun piled high on my head, and flicked a stray lock near my ear, making me flinch. 'Maybe if she had dark hair… Why don't you go and show Akira the gardens, Sasuke? I need to speak with father for a moment.'

'Okay!'

I followed the little Uchiha across the room and out the back doors and I couldn't help but notice the way people were shifting out of our way as we went, as though I had some deathly disease.

As soon as the cool evening air hit my face, I relaxed, inhaling deeply and savouring the feel of the fresh, clean atmosphere.

We stopped at the top of a grand-looking staircase leading out from the house. The gardens were very heavily decorated, with not a single inch lacking in neatly trimmed vegetation or twinkling strings of fairy lights. There was a fountain sporting a fantasy castle theme at the back, with an young angel child holding a single rose in the middle. The centrepiece of the garden was essentially just a glorified blossom tree, with small glittering lanterns and bauble-like objects dangling from its branches. I had to admit, it was very pretty.

'I don't think Shisui is coming…'

I glanced down at Sasuke, who was leaning his elbows on the banister and staring into the distance. 'Why do you say that?'

'Itachi and Father haven't been getting on very well recently. I heard them arguing in the living room the other day about Shisui because he is doing so much work for the Hokage…'

'I didn't know Shisui was working for the Hokage… I thought all his work was based in the police force?' I frowned, trying to think back. I was sure he had never mentioned the Hokage to me before.

Sasuke started to reply but he was cut off by the sound of footsteps behind us. I turned around to see the three girls from earlier glaring at us. They moved into a semi-circle, surrounding us and blocking our exits, and I sub-consciously pushed Sasuke slightly behind me.

'Hey Sasuke, who's your friend?' Hana, the longhaired brunette, sneered at the small boy, who was shuffling further into my side.

'My name is Akira. What do you want?' I scowled at her, my blue eyes driving daggers into her soul.

The arrogant little blonde with the cheap-looking outfit spoke next. 'We just want to know why the head family of the Uchiha are so friendly with you. So come on, Sasuke. Who is she?'

'Will you leave him out of this? If you have a problem with me just say so.' I practically snarled at the group.

'Oh it's not really a problem… We just don't think you should be associating with a clan who's clearly way above your… Ahem, standard…' Kaya was fast becoming my favourite person to hate.

Nika put one hand on her hip and waved her other up and down my figure. 'Yeah, I mean, you're not even that pretty!'

I scoffed. 'I didn't know that was a requirement of being friends with an Uchiha.'

'Open your eyes, girl. There's nothing special about you, and the only reason they pay attention to you is that they feel sorry for you because you're so ordinary. You should stay well away or you'll drag down the pride of their clan into the dust, right where _you_ belong.' As Hana's harsh words slowly sank in, I couldn't help but wonder if she was right. There really wasn't anything special about me.

I shook my head angrily and, grabbing Sasuke's small hand, pulled him back into the building, giving Kaya and Nika a hard shove with my shoulders as I passed.

'Akira, why did they–'

'Sasuke, go and stand by your mother, I have to leave now,' I ushered him gently in Mikoto's direction and all but ran towards the front door. I felt a well-known prickling behind my eyes and picked up the pace before they could overflow. I was mere inches from escape, when a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders and spun me around on the spot. I gasped slightly before my vision focused on familiar, scruffy black hair, piercing red eyes and a friendly grin.

'Shisui!' I threw my arms around his neck, stunning him in the process as I buried my face into his shoulder to hide my wet lashes.

'Didn't think you'd miss me that much! How's it going?' A small, muffled laugh escaped my lips but I didn't loosen my grip.

'What's the matter?' His voice lowered, so only I could hear him.

'I need to go outside…' I whispered, relieved when he nodded and started to shuffle me backwards. I turned away quickly and hurried out the door, Shisui hot on my trail. I had to get away before anyone saw me cry. Before _they_ saw me cry.

* * *

**A/N: First thing to say about this - They can't really have alcohol, so I gave her an apple juice. They're still 13! Damn them.**

**They will age soon, the time gap is coming!**

**Please review and let me know if you like it! :D x**


	9. Decision

**A/N: Still sticking to my daily updates! Are you proud? You should be. I'm the laziest person the world has ever known, it's a good job that typing doesn't require much physical effort!**

**I was supposed to be going the gym today but sacked it off to write chapter 11.**

**I spoil you :P**

**Enjoy! x**

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As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I let my tears dribble down my face, unable to hold them back any longer. I was painfully aware of Shisui behind me, hurrying to keep up with my escape through the compound, as I headed straight for the safety of my apartment.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, he caught my wrist and tugged it gently, halting my retreat. I stopped moving and sniffed, refusing to look at him.

'Akira, what the hell happened?' He moved to stand in front of me and I drooped my head, staring at the floor stubbornly trying to disguise the little droplets of salt water that had begun to fall around my feet.

'I don't belong there…' I mumbled, praying that my voice wouldn't betray me. The once calm, night sky had began to cloud over, rain gathering in the atmosphere as if responding to my fast decreasing mood.

'What are you talking about?' He placed his hands on my shoulders and dipped his head in an attempt to read my expression, but I shook my hair over my eyes to further shadow my shame. 'Akira.' He said, more firmly.

'I have to leave.' I stated, more to myself than the Uchiha.

'Alright, well I'll come with you…'

'No, Shisui. I mean leave Konaha.' His grip tightened slightly, but I had made up my mind. I had already been in this village for far too long, and didn't think that my emotions couldn't handle this place a second longer. I dared myself to risk a glance at the only thing preventing me from sinking into the ground, and regretted it instantly. Shisui was watching me, an intense, crimson gaze searching my face in confused concern. I tore my eyes from his. I couldn't allow anything to change my mind. If I stayed, I would only end up being hurt more, which would ultimately result in my leaving on much worse terms with the Uchiha and the Leaf village.

His arms enveloped around me and I whimpered as he 'shh'ed by my ear.

A pair of footsteps from behind alerted me that it was time to get out of here, so I shrugged out of the Uchiha's hold and broke into an uneven run, not stopping until I had burst into my living room and locked my front door firmly behind me.

I didn't waste a second, it was now or never. Once in my room, I fumbled with an empty storage scroll I kept in my backpack, and spread it out across the floor. I set about gathering my clothes into piles, pausing occasionally to seal each one into the scroll and then stuffed it into my bag. I repeated the action in the bathroom and after a quick once over of the apartment, decided that anything left unpacked either wasn't mine or was not worth taking.

With the bare essentials handy in my pack, I stood by the entrance and reached for the door handle, my fingers hovering over the metal as I took a few long breaths to calm myself. _I'm really doing this. I'm really leaving…_

Finally prepared, I twisted the knob and allowed the chilled breeze to rustle through the open door and twirl my now loose hair.

What surprised me was the balled fist suspended in midair where my door had once stood. My eyes trailed up the arm to identify its owner.

'Oh, I-Itachi… I was just–'

His dark eyes flashed dangerously and I snapped my mouth shut. Who was I kidding – of course he knew what I was doing.

'Come with me.' Three simple words. They weren't angry, or upset, or even disappointed. So why did it make me feel so guilty?

I complied silently, not daring to protest or question our destination. He led me to the edge of the village and through the thick foliage at the back of the Uchiha compound. I frowned upon realising where we were heading, but continued followed him obediently until we arrived at the training ground clearing, the same one where I had met him a couple of months back. He stopped to lean against a tree and regarded me strangely, conveying little emotion in his black irises.

I shifted on the spot, wondering what the purpose of this was. In the silence, I began to organize my speech, along with a list of reasons as to why this was something that I had to do. I also planned to mention that although I would regret leaving the few friends I had made here, there was no changing my mind.

'You're leaving.' He stated, surprisingly calm.

Typically, all the words that had been sitting on my tongue ready to be spoken now scattered, abandoning me at the last moment when I needed them the most. Eventually, I nodded, unable to formulate anything intelligible.

'Where will you go?'

My expression contorted into something vaguely resembling a frown. I hadn't really thought about where I was heading, just that I had to leave. I had to escape. A little voice at the back of my mind whispered that I was running away from my problems, but I shoved it to the back of my mind.

'I-I'm not sure… See, I never stay in one place for too long, b-because my mother was a traveller, s-so that's why I'm going.' I babbled, trying to avoid his inevitable next question. When he didn't reply I assumed I succeeded, and spoke again in a quiet voice. 'Are you angry?'

'Why does that matter?'

'I don't know…' I really didn't know. To be honest, I didn't know much when I was around him, and I always seemed to end up either hurt or confused. It made me feel incredibly uneasy, like I was walking on eggshells. 'Are you?'

'No, I'm not.'

'Oh.'

'Do you want me to be?'

'N-no?' I shook my head.

'You don't sound too sure.'

'Why would I want you to be angry?' It was a genuine question, why _would_ I want him to be angry? I shook my head again, trying to clear my head and gaining an odd look from the Uchiha.

He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. After a moment, he pushed himself away from the tree and came to stand in front of me, his face inches from mine. I swallowed hard, trying to hold his gaze calmly.

'Do you… Believe them?' He knew. How did he know? My mind reeled back through the night until my memory settled on a certain small Uchiha, who had also been present throughout the little ordeal. Sasuke.

I broke our eye contact to watch the leaves rustling in the trees around us and the grass as it swayed gently in the breeze. I looked at anything but him.

I gasped as his hands surrounded my face, capturing my cheeks and forcing me to face him. He raised an eyebrow and repeated his question, more determinedly this time.

Finally, I whispered my hesitant reply. 'Yes, I do.'

Itachi released me instantly, and I almost stumbled forward at the sudden disappearance. He was still in front of me, but facing away with his head upturned towards the dark sky.

'Why?'

I didn't want to reply. I didn't want to be here. I wished with all my heart that I had never stumbled across this Godforsaken village, with its bustling crowds and its arrogant clans. The way the blinding sun was almost always on show, and yet the seasons still seemed to change around it. The winters were too cold and the people were painfully oblivious to the cruel world that outside ninja lived in. The real world outside this village. My heart started to pound angrily as I seethed in silence at my thoughts. I hated it here. I hated Konaha, the ignorant, sheltered village, hidden in the leaves.

Itachi hadn't moved. He was waiting for my response in an irritatingly composed manner. I wanted to roll my eyes and throw some sort of petty and juvenile insult at him, but I didn't.

'Because, it's true…' I sighed, eventually. 'I'm nothing special. I don't hold any importance to anyone. I'm not from this village… Actually I'm not really from any village! I'm worthless and weak, hell, I haven't even mastered my own Kekkei Genkai yet! I just… Exist.'

'…You're wrong.'

I blinked, wondering if I had heard him correctly. 'P-pardon?'

'You're wrong. You are not insignificant.' He said quietly, his voice so low I had to strain to hear him. He whispered something else that I couldn't quite understand, but the way that he looked at me when he turned to face me almost stopped my heart, and whatever it was that he had said was lost in the wind.

His raven hair blew softly across his cheek as he stared, his black irises glazed and yet so full of emotion, in a way that I had never seen. His lips were parted, breathing through his mouth as a rain cloud above finally gave way. I reached out my hand, blushing lightly at his rose to meet mine, our fingers entwining.

I edged closer, my heart throbbing as my head screamed for me to run, but I was entranced. His free hand lifted to rest at the back of my neck, gently pulling me closer as it wound into my hair. My mouth was now almost touching his, and I let my eyelids slide shut, savouring the feeling of his warm breath caressing my face.

Finally, he closed the gap, and I melted beneath his touch. The hand that had wrapped around mine untangled itself to lightly brush its fingertips over my cheek, sending a small shiver up my spine. I leaned in, deepening the kiss as my arms curled around his waist, my previous plans forgotten as the world around us fell away.

He pulled back slowly to regard me, before murmuring the most tragically beautiful words I have heard in my life. 'Don't go…'

For a long moment, I didn't breathe. Panic flashed across my cerulean eyes as the hauntingly familiar situation unfolded before me. The same situation my parents had been in the day my mother had left. The worst thing was, deep down, I knew what I was going to do. No matter how I wished otherwise, I couldn't stay here any longer.

One tear was all it took, for him to see it too. My decision, that no one else could ever comprehend, that remained unchanging no matter the circumstances, was absolute.

My hands fell to my sides in a somewhat slow motion, my eyes never leaving his as I began to back away. My gaze was frozen, and I felt myself start to quiver as the realisation of what I was about to do struck me.

Part of me wanted to turn and run, to get away from here and get away from him. But another, smaller part of me, wanted nothing more than to fling myself forward, back into his arms and surrender to the dull ache that was forming in my chest.

But I didn't. He made no move to stop me, he just watched, his expression unreadable as I reached the edge of the trees.

And finally, in one swift movement, I ripped my gaze from his and tore away in the night, a single sob erupting from my throat.

By now, the rain was pounding hard on my rapidly retreating figure. My heart beat violently against my ribs as I ran, my lungs were beginning to heave painfully. I don't know how long I ran for, but I eventually entered an uneven, gravelled terrain and I stumbled awkwardly, grazing my knee on a jagged rock.

When I could run no longer, I collapsed into a crumpled, broken heap against the stony floor and lay there silently shivering. My cheeks were streaked and tear-stained, and my eyes stinging and raw.

My hands quivered as I made a small hand sign, nipping my thumb and placing it weakly on the ground.

A large, dark grey wolf, tipped with white and glowing orange eyes appeared before me. She glanced at me warily before lowering her head gently, nuzzling my side. I wobbled to my feet, my eyes dull and glazed. I somehow managed to clamber ungracefully onto her back, burying my face in her wild, unmanaged fur, and allowed her to carry me to safety, beyond the human realm.

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**A/N: …I'm a bad person.**

**I'm so sorry! Although… Bare in mind they're only 13 at this point, and I'm not even half way through the story yet. I have a few ideas up my sleeve that I plan to unravel over time.**

**There is going to be a time skip next chapter and maybe even a surprise in store for you lovely people!**

**Oh and I haven't forgotten about the wolves Uchiha hatred. That's coming in a few more chapters.**

**Well, until next time!**


	10. Five Years Later

**A/N: ****OKAY!**

**The surprise is at the bottom of this chapter, it's not that great so don't get too excited, it's just a POV change from Akira to third person. But it was necessary!**

**That's all I'll say for now… Enjoy : ) x**

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xXx Five years later xXx

'Akira…'

_I was sobbing uncontrollably into a warm shoulder, strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me closer. I sniffled feebly and tilted my head to stare up into deep black eyes. I watched as the colour began to bleed into red._

'_Don't go…'_

_The crimson swirled again, this time changing to a deep chocolate brown. I frowned slightly. I shifted my gaze up to see dark, coffee-coloured shaggy hair, drooping low over his irises._

'_Don't leave me, Emiko…'_

_My vision blurred momentarily. The protective embrace loosened and two hands rested gently on my shoulders. As I slowly began to refocus, I gasped in horror. A thin line of scarlet dribbled from the man's mouth, a small, wry smile playing on his lips. The hands released me as he began to fall backwards, the smile never leaving his face. As he hit the ground with a dull thud, recognition dawned on me._

'_Father…' I murmured. I backed away slowly, freezing on the spot when my bare heel landed in an icy, pool of crystal water. I knelt down beside it, to gaze at the woman staring back at me._

_My hand moved to skim my fingers gently across the surface, creating a shimmering whirlpool of ripples. I gawped as my reflection began to change. Short, sapphire locks curled around a heart-shaped face, and her bright, emerald green eyes widened slightly as I watched. This woman was not me._

'_Akira…'_

_I blinked furiously, and started to shake my head. 'No…'_

'_Akira, you did this…'_

_My voice grows more desperate. 'No… I'm not you…'_

'It's your fault… Your father's dead. And I…'

'_No!'_

'_I'm dead, Akira. It's your fault. You weren't there for me… It's your fault.'_

'NO!' I bolted upright, a thick sheen of sweat coating my skin as I panted hard. The grey wolf beside me stirred but, thankfully, remained asleep. I shuddered as a chilled breeze rustled through the trees above me and, unable to shake the constant reoccurring nightmare, I rose to my feet silently.

I walked quietly to a small stream that was trickling through the grassy forest, and leaned over to cup my hands in the cleansing liquid. Bringing it up to my forehead, I disposed of the only evidence of my night terror, rubbing my sweating face furiously until it stung.

Returning to my lupus companion and settling back down against her soft, grey fur, I listened to the sound of her steady heartbeat and felt the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

She was Akuma's sister, Kirai, and Tsuchi's other pup. She often liked to accompany me on cold nights such as this one, especially when I was alone. But then, I was always alone. It was best this way. I had run from my mother, the night she had killed herself, from Konaha and the Uchiha clan. That haunting day when I had left them five years ago, when I had left _him_, but I had never looked back.

Something in my heart had hardened that night. Did I regret it? Sometimes, yes. But if given the chance, I would make the same decision over and over, because I knew deep down that it was just something I'd had to do.

I remembered when I had run far enough away, I had called for Kirai to come and whisk me away to the safety of the wolf realm – the closest thing to a home I had ever really known. But to be honest, I didn't even belong there. No matter how hard I wished, I was no wolf, and so after a few long nights of repairing my broken state, I had returned to the land of man and continued my wandering alone.

That's when the nightmares had started. Vicious, relentless memories that were forever haunting my brain, circling like vultures just waiting for me to fall. I never did.

The dream always began as a memory, but the faces soon twisted and contorted into that of my parents, my subconscious subliminally trying to convince me that what I had done was no different to my mother's actions. But I refused to believe that, and no matter how things turned out, I was not my mother. And _he_ was most certainly _not_ my father…

xXx

'You know, for a wolf, you don't half walk slow.'

'Give me a break, I'm not used to this foreign terrain. The rocks cut my paws and the wind is constantly against us. And what's with this hail?' The female wolf growled, picking up her pace into a jagged trot beside me.

I laughed, giving her a playful scratch behind her white-tipped ears. 'Sorry, Kirai, but you were the one who insisted on travelling with me!'

'It wouldn't even be that bad if this crazy weather would just give it a rest.' I frowned up at the dull sky as the hailstones suddenly began to cease, as though someone up there had heard Kirai's grumbling.

I glanced at her, and smirked at her surprised expression. 'See, even the Gods are tired of your moaning!'

Rolling her eyes, my companion ignored my comment and changed the subject. 'Where are you headed this time, anyway?'

'Next on the road should be the Hidden Waterfall village according to my map. I'll stop there and gather some supplies, but I don't want to stay there too long. I've heard it's quite small and claustrophobic.'

'Taki, huh? Well, beggars can't be choosers, as the saying goes… What supplies do you need so desperately that it can't wait for somewhere better?'

As if in response to her question, my stomach chose this moment to rumble angrily and I clamped my arms around my waist in an attempt to drown out the sound. I frowned at my failed efforts. 'I'm hungry, okay?'

The wolf dipped her head slightly to my level. 'When did you last eat?'

'Don't worry it was only last night. But that was the last of my food, hence the trip to Taki.'

She seemed comforted by this, and moved her analysing gaze to the horizon, where the Hidden village was beginning to come into sight. 'Something's not right…' She growled suddenly.

I flicked my eyes around our location, my chakra reaching out through the atmosphere trying to sense for any danger. 'I don't feel anything?'

I had stopped walking to concentrate on my surroundings, but Kirai nudged me forward softly with her muzzle. 'Call it animal instinct. The atmosphere, it's almost tense. I think you should be wary when you reach the village, Akira. You never know what's out there…'

'Right.'

After a few more steps, I sighed. 'Thanks for the company, but you might want to think about heading back now, Kirai. Walking straight into a new village with a giant wolf beside me in an already tense atmosphere might look a little suspicious.' I grinned at the female lupus, who mirrored the expression, albeit a little more feral than my own.

'Good luck, Akira. Do you have enough savings?'

I patted my ninja pouch until it made a light jingle sound. 'Should do. My job in that Ramen store in Iwa paid pretty well.'

The great wolf bowed her dark head, before returning to her homeland and leaving a small cloud of smoke in her place.

The night had rolled around quickly and, taking a breath, I hastily made my way to the looming gates of the Hidden Waterfall village. As I approached, two ninja stood blocking my path, demanding my name and reason for coming.

'My name is Akira Haiyuka. I am a traveller of no particular background. I have been staying in Iwa for the past few months and need some supplies for my journey.' I replied honestly.

'How long do you intend to stay?' The first spoke, a short, stocky man with a deep scar ripping across his left cheek.

'I never usually plan that far ahead, but if you would like an estimate, I would say two weeks maximum.'

The woman beside him relaxed her posture slightly, her violet eyes shifting to glance at her comrade. He was rubbing his thumb and forefinger against his chin, apparently weighing me up.

'A traveller, you say?'

'Yes, sir.' I thought a moment before adding, 'My parents died when I was young, and I've been on the move ever since.'

The woman tilted her head slightly, a glint of compassion flickering across her face. 'How old are you?'

'18, ma'am.'

She flipped a few purple locks over her shoulder and turned to the male beside her. 'I do not detect any hints of false information, Harika.'

He regarded me carefully, before finally sighing. 'Very well. Two weeks maximum. You are to report to the village hall at precisely 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon for registration.'

I had to resist standing to attention and saluting. He clearly took his job very seriously, so I settled with a grateful smile and proceeded into the village. There seemed to be a lot more security on guard around here, but I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to invade such a small piece of land. It was practically worthless.

Finding the most hygienic looking hotel, I checked in at the reception and paid for my first night in Takigakure.

My room was surprisingly quaint, with a large, driftwood fire pre-lit and burning in the main room. A thin, single bed was shoved tightly in the far corner, making way for the large and seemingly unnecessary rug. I wandered into the bathroom to take a shower before bed, briefly wondering if there would be any hot water available.

xXx Elsewhere xXx

The full moon glistened, standing out in the darkness as the faint, wispy clouds crawled lazily across the sky to shelter the glowing orb. Two figures wandered the lonely road that lead to the entrance of the Hidden Waterfall village, one that neither was entirely familiar with. Black cloaks sporting strange red cloud patterns wafted in the air as the wind howled, as though trying to pull them forward.

Two other silhouettes joined them, their ninja attire illuminated by the pale moonbeams and Taki headbands glinting in the dark. They spoke for only a moment, before disappearing once more into the shadows in an almost zombie like fashion, allowing the strangers access to their hometown without interrogation.

The taller of the two spoke quietly to his companion as they entered, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a small inn. The shorter male grunted a curt response, before the pair ambled their way into the old-fashioned building, checking in for the night.

Tomorrow their search would begin. Their search for the Jinchuuriki of the Waterfall village.

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**A/N: So you've probably guessed where this is leading...**

**You also may have noticed I changed the title again. Yeah it's not exactly cryptic but it's better than the last one.**

**Hope everything is to your liking so far!**

**See you soon :) x**


	11. Jinchuuriki

**A/N: Oooo it's all kicking off in this chapter!**

**I was going for dramatic effect here, I really hope I didn't fail.**

**Enjoy! x**

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I yawned loudly, stretching out my arms to their limits in front of me, and twisting my back with a satisfying crack. There was a light pattering sound of rain against the window, and I rolled my eyes at the predictable weather. I half-heartedly threw on some black leggings and a long, grey top, my mind fixed on finding breakfast. Grabbing my ninja pouch, I skipped downstairs and headed for the small market street I had passed on the way to the hotel last night.

Arriving at a quieter fruit stall, I rolled a green apple in my palm, feeling a slight quiver of nostalgia, before dropping it for a pre-packed bustle of red.

I paid quickly and hurried to the next vendor, not allowing any unwanted memories to seep through the gates of my locked mind. I thought back to what Akuma had suggested, a few years back.

If it hurts so bad to remember, why don't you just forget?

He was right. I could easily have erased my painful memories of Konaha and it's clan members, but there was always a tiny part of me that wanted to cling to them for dear life and never let go.

After an hour of wandering the stalls and filling my food pack, which I promptly sealed in a storage scroll, I began to make my way back to the hotel. A couple of villagers glared suspiciously at me as I passed, and I briefly wondered if this was the tension that Kirai had sensed on our journey. I shrugged it off, figuring it was probably just the paranoia of being a stranger to this town, that was making me uncomfortable.

The sun had finally decided to make an appearance, for which I was grateful. The rain and the low temperature was fast becoming my least favourite forecast, as I found it harder to warm up in such a climate than to cool down in a hot one.

When my hotel came into view, the muffled sound of angry voices found its way to my ears, and I paused outside the building to listen. The first tone I recognised as the receptionist, who possessed a very memorable and irritatingly shrill voice. She was talking to a man, with a gruff voice that reminded me somewhat of gravel.

'I understand your position, sir, but policy rules state I cannot disclose any such information.'

'Right, look here, woman. I'm on a tight schedule and I don't want any trouble, and I'm sure you're thinking the same. So let's cut to the chase, where can I find the kunoichi that goes by the name of Fū?'

'I can assure you that even if I was aware of this persons whereabouts, I am not the person you should be asking. May I ask what is your purpose of locating the Jinchuuriki?'

My eyes bulged slightly at this. I was well aware of the current status of this particular Jinchuuriki. In fact, I had passed by the mint-haired girl not too long ago at the marketplace and overheard her talking to a merchant about visiting the falls to train. Not that he had been listening. It was hard not to know who she was, the way the people had avoided her like the plague and whispering obnoxiously about how they wished she would disappear. The people of Taki weren't exactly discrete.

Unable to withstand the tension any longer, I entered the hotel. Curiosity killed the cat, so I'm told. My eyes landed on easily one of the tallest men I have ever seen. His dark blue, slicked hair was spiking upright on his head, defying gravity, but the most eye-catching feature on the stranger was the peculiar shark-grey tint to his skin. I blinked a few times to be sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

Taking a small breath, I cleared my throat noticeably, suppressing a nervous laugh as two sets of eyes turned to assess me.

'Excuse me, miss, I'll be with you in just a moment.' The receptionist called, but I ignored the fumbling woman and my gaze locked with the man's tiny white orbs.

'I couldn't help but overhear that you were looking for Fū of the Waterfall village.'

The man eyed me suspiciously, but didn't reply, so when he didn't shoot me down I continued. 'I think I may know where she's heading. I can take you if you want?'

He let out a coarse, throaty laugh, making me flinch at the sudden noise. 'Alright, girl, what's your price?'

I frowned slightly, I hadn't wanted anything in return. I was actually just trying to save the receptionist from her persistent client, since he didn't seem as though he was about to quit anytime soon. Then again, if he was expecting a price, who was I to turn him down?

'10 000 yen.'

'Done. Lead the way, girl.'

I scowled as I turned back to the doorway. 'I have a name, you know. It's Akira.'

'Yeah, yeah.'

I huffed and crossed my arms. Making my way to the west side of the village, I glanced behind me to where the tall stranger was strolling casually. Just as the tip of the waterfall began to creep into sight above the taller buildings, I slowed to fall into step beside him.

'So what's your name?' I gave him a friendly smile, trying to ease the awkward situation.

'Not important.'

'Okay then, Mr sociable. So how come you're looking for the Jinchuuriki? Most folks around here can't seem to get further away from her, let alone go _looking_ for her.'

He smirked at his new nickname but kept his eyes forward, and I tilted my head to regard him cautiously. Eventually, he spoke.

'Will you quit looking at me like that?'

I blinked. 'Like what?'

'Like I've just grown another head!'

'I didn't realise I was… Sorry.' He seemed slightly surprised by my apology, but didn't comment. I felt a pang of guilt at the thought that I had been staring. It must be awful, having people look at you so strangely just because you had a different appearance.

'Kisame.' His voice tore me out of my thoughts and my eyebrows knitted together at the strange exclamation.

'Pardon?'

He sighed and rolled his eyes. 'My name. It's Kisame.'

My face lit up as I grinned. 'Nice to meet you, Kisame!' We reached the edge of the falls and I glanced up at the rocks, lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the sun. 'Well, this is where she said she'd be.'

Kisame reached for the great, bandaged sword that had been resting on his back, and slammed it to the ground causing several mini earth tremors, and I had to concentrate to remain balanced. Suddenly, a strange shadow was cast from above, blocking the sunrays from my eyes and replacing them with a fast descending human.

I let out a small yelp and leapt to the side. The girl, who I now realised was Fū, landed gracefully and almost immediately sprang forward again at the tall grey/blue man. She slashed her kunai at his face, narrowly missing and flipping her light body backwards to float on the clear waterfall pool.

'Akatsuki! What do you want with me?' She spat, her words dripping with venom as she crouched into a defensive position. I had no idea what this 'Akatsuki' was, but I was pretty sure Fū was not entirely fond of it.

'It would be a waste of time to tell you, since you don't really have much choice.' Kisame replied, coolly, a toothy grin spreading across his expression. 'You can either come quietly or we can do it the hard way.'

'You!' She turned on me now. 'You're that traveller everyone was talking about. They said to be wary of you, turning up out of the blue when we're all on high alert!'

I had not expected that. 'What are you talking about? Why are you on high alert?'

'Quit the act! It's obvious you're working with them.'

Kisame chuckled cruelly. 'Actually, you're incorrect. But she did turn out to be rather useful.' His eyes flicked to my face of confusion. 'So you're a traveller?'

I nodded slowly, not really sure why this was of any importance. Before I had any chance to question him further, he charged forward, swinging his sword back as he ran. The blade collided with the once calm surface, sending a tsunami-like wall of water crashing over the Jinchuuriki. I froze, startled by his sudden hostility as I scanned my brain for any recollection of such an organisation. None came to mind, and I could only stare helplessly as the Fū began to furiously weave a water-style hand sign.

Kisame mirrored her action but she was too quick for him, creating a giant, liquid dragon spiralling in his direction. Dodging neatly and slicing the head from the offending beast, he released his own jutsu and sent a flurry of water style bullets shooting at his opponent.

My mind screamed at me to run, but no matter how hard I tried to move, my feet remained firmly planted in place. I had a sinking feeling that once again, I had done something very stupid. There was a gargled cry from across the pool, and my eyes darted to a struggling Fū, who was thrashing desperately inside what looked like a water-filled bubble.

Shaking myself from the initial shock, I charged forward to free her, only to be stopped by a large black-cloaked figure that leapt in my way.

'She'll drown!' I practically screamed at him and his eyes narrowed.

'Don't worry, there'll be no use in killing her.'

I shook my head and dashed forward, trying frantically to manoeuvre my way around Kisame's figure. 'Fū, hang on!'

I leapt at the man, intending to sidestep around his form at the last minute. A foot connected harshly with my stomach sending me hurtling backwards until my back slammed into the rocky wall. I coughed hard, winded and in pain. _No, I have to save her! This is my fault!_

Scrabbling to my feet, I started to move but another presence appeared behind me, binding my hands tightly behind my back as a rough hand fisted my hair to hold me in place. I flailed weakly, only to have my hair ruthlessly yanked backward. I cried out bitterly as the pain shot through my scalp.

My eyes widened as I scanned the area, in search of the drowning kunoichi. The bubble had burst and she was now lying limply by the edge of the water, small, angry waves lapping against her side.

I turned to glare at the tall man called Kisame and gasped as he slumped the unconscious girl over his shoulder, making his way towards me. I had forgotten all about my captor until the blue man stopped before me, his gaze going past my ear.

'Took you long enough. You can probably let her go, she can't really go anywhere.' His partner shifted behind me as if debating whether or not he could trust me.

'I doubt I'd get very far even if I tried…' I hissed.

Kisame grimaced as the stranger gave me a sharp shove, and with my hands bound at my back, I was slammed heavily face first into the dust. I wriggled to my knees, spluttering dirt as I rose to examine the state of the Jinchuuriki.

'Who are you?' I snarled up at the towering figure, but it was the one behind me who answered.

'We are Akatsuki.' The voice that responded made me freeze on the spot, sending a horrified shiver trembling up my spine. My heart suddenly became very vigorous and my blood roared in my ears. My body began to turn itself stiffly and involuntarily to face the man who had spoken and my eyes bulged, refusing to close and opening wider than I thought possible.

When my vision finally landed on the culprit, my horror was confirmed. Blood red crimson eyes bore into the depths of my pupils, ripping out my soul and tearing it to pieces. I stared for a moment, unable to formulate any form of sound, before a single word escaped my lips in just-barely a mere whisper.

'Itachi…'

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**A/N: Woo another chapter done :D**

**Not much to say really... The chapter speaks for itself :)**

**Let me know your thoughts, flame friendly :D**

**x**


	12. Akatsuki

**A/N: So I've just made a Deviant Art account, and I've uploaded all my OC profiles and pictures.**

**Links are available on my fanfic profile if anyone is interested :)**

**I hope you enjoy my latest chapter :) x**

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'Do you two know each other?' Kisame's gaze was flicking back and forth from his partner to me, a look of confusion tainting his features.

Breaking out of my shock and taking on my usual, smart-mouthed personality, I scoffed. 'You could say that.' I suddenly remembered my bound hands. 'You wanna untie me, Uchiha?' I glowered in response to the unfamiliar glare I was receiving, but my expression softened when he complied.

'We should head back.' Itachi turned to Kisame, completely ignoring my presence and making my blood boil.

'Alright. What about the girl?'

'What about her?' His face remained emotionless, and it was beginning to really piss me off.

I growled audibly and slapped my hands to my hips, shifting my weight to one leg. 'Fuck you, Uchiha. You don't think I've gotten stronger these past five years? I could wipe the floor with your arrogant, cocky ass in no time!'

Kisame gawped, shocked by my outburst and Itachi's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as he turned to face me. 'I don't doubt your basic skill has improved, however it would still never be enough to beat me, _Akira Haiyuka_.' I didn't like the way he said my name, like it was a forbidden cuss or some ultimate taboo. Maybe to him, it was.

'Actually,' Kisame piped up. 'I was thinking we should take her with us.'

I stared at him incredulously. Itachi rolled his eyes and started to walk away. 'Don't be ridiculous, Kisame. Let's go.'

'No wait, hear me out. She's a traveller and she knew exactly where to find the Jinchuuriki. She blends in pretty well with the general public and could easily get close to other towns people and locate the others.'

The Uchiha paused and cocked his head slightly to regard me with one eye. 'Do what you want.' He said directed at his partner, who grinned at me.

I scowled back. 'You don't think I'll really go willingly, do you?'

The blue man grinned and adjusted his grip on poor Fū, who had been rather neglected throughout the conversation. 'You will if you want to save your friend.'

I opened my mouth to speak but snapped it shut again. He'd said there was no use in killing her, but that didn't mean that he intended to later. I began to weigh up my options, and the odds of a clean escape and being able to get on with my life unruffled were very little. _I suppose I owe it to Fū, since I did lead him to her…_ Shooting a final nasty glare at Kisame, I stomped after the Uchiha, grumbling to myself irritably.

xXx

The Akatsuki members walked in silence, with Itachi in front and Kisame taking up the rear. My constant scowl was beginning to make my face ache, and I gave a sharp sigh in frustration. The journey was quite long, but I didn't mind as I was used to travelling long-distance anyway. It was more the company that bothered me, and the unrealistic thought of attempting to murder them both and run, had crossed my mind far too many times.

As the night began to fall around us, Itachi came to halt in a small clearing in the forest we had been walking through, and turned to face us.

'We'll rest here for the night. I'll take the first watch.'

Kisame dropped Fū carelessly in a heap on the grass with a soft thud, and settled himself down leaning against a tree. I glared and went to sit beside her, but Itachi moved into my path.

'If you're thinking of waking her, you can think again.' He tossed a thin, transparent object to his blue partner, who snatched it knowingly from the air. Bending over the unconscious girl, he jabbed the item in his fist into the side of her leg. It didn't take me long to register the action as an injection, and assumed that he had administered some sort of drug to prevent her from coming around. I cursed under my breath but continued to kneel beside her anyway.

I brushed her light green hair out of her eyes and pulled out a storage scroll from my pouch, summoning a woollen blanket. I tucked it under her head gently and glanced up at the two men who were watching me. 'What?' I snapped.

Kisame rolled his eyes and Itachi just turned away and disappeared into the trees. I scowled after him. Chuckling tore my eyes away from the foliage where the Uchiha had once stood, and I snapped my irritated gaze to Kisame.

'What's so funny, Shark boy?'

'Ouch! What happened to that sweet, helpful little girl that found me in the waterfall village?'

'Sorry to disappoint, but I only treat decent human beings with that kind of attitude.' If Kisame was offended by my words, he didn't show it.

Instead he chuckled again, pulling out a packet of pre-packed sushi. My stomach gargled hungrily as my eyes locked onto the food, making him smirk. 'Here.' I watched him dubiously as the packet hovered in front of me. I raised an eyebrow and took the sushi, giving it a suspicious sniff.

He laughed loudly, startling me. 'It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking.' He pulled out a matching packet and ripped it open, taking a bite out of the first chunk of fish.

I copied his action, daintily at first. After a few bites, however, my stomach could wait no longer and I proceeded to scoff the remainder in seconds. I mumbled my thanks and shuffled into a more comfortable position on the floor, lying on my belly and kicking my legs in the air. I plucked a few strands of grass half-heartedly and sighed, bored.

I looked up at the space between the bushes, where Itachi had wandered through earlier, my thoughts turning sour as irritation began to bubble in the pit of my gut. He hadn't changed. He was still an arrogant prick.

Kisame must have noticed my angry glare, because he was trying futilely to stifle a laugh.

'What now?' I growled.

He waved a hand dismissively in my direction and ignored my question. 'So how do you know my partner?'

'Why don't you ask him yourself?'

'Nah, Itachi never tells me anything. Besides, you're much easier to tease.'

I rolled my eyes, but decided to keep up the conversation. 'I lived in Konaha for a while. I know his cousin.' I deliberately left out the major details.

'Knew, you mean.'

I glanced at Kisame, a frown spreading across my face. 'What do you mean?'

'You _knew_ his cousin.'

'Well yeah, I haven't seen him since I left five years ago, so…' I trailed off. It was none of his business anyway.

'…Why did you leave?'

'I never stay in one place for too long.' I shrugged. His expression seemed somewhat confused, as though waiting for me to expand.

After a moment, he spoke again quietly. 'You don't know, do you?'

'Kisame.' We both flinched as Itachi appeared beside us in the clearing, his eyes were cold and hard as he silenced his teammate with a single word.

'Well, it's getting pretty late. You should try and get some sleep, girl. Another long walk ahead of us tomorrow.' Kisame began to settle himself into a sleeping bag that looked far too small for his muscular figure. I glared at the blue man in response, but rolled onto my side and curled up beside Fū anyway figuring that, if they were going to kill me, they would have already done so by now.

However my body refused to relax, and I tossed and turned all night, barely able to hold down more than an hour's sleep at a time. As I dozed, my mind wandered back to the leaf village and the Uchiha clan. Sasuke would be 13 now, just starting out as a genin, I assume. And Shisui would probably pretty much be in charge of the police force by now. I frowned at this, remembering what Kisame had said earlier. _You don't know, do you?_ What had I missed?

Every so often I would glance around the clearing, to find Itachi perched motionless on a tree branch. His eyes were closed, but I knew he was awake. I briefly wondered when he was going to wake his partner for his shift of watch duty, but eventually realised that he didn't plan to. Kisame slept like a log from the second he closed his eyes, and by morning I already deeply regretted my sleepless night.

I hissed as I awoke from my broken slumber to the sunlight flooding through the leafy branches, earning a sly chuckle from the shark-like man. I scowled at him and rolled away from the rays, shuffling into some large tree roots as though they would shelter me from the light.

'Come on, woman! Get up. You already missed breakfast and we're getting ready to leave.'

I pouted momentarily but decided the last few dregs of sleep were much more important, especially if we would be walking a long way.

Minutes later, we were on the road again. I trailed behind Itachi with Kisame at my side, occasionally glaring up at the Uchiha's back, utterly offended that he had hardly said a word to me. Then again, who could blame him after the last time we spoke. I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me.

Today was hot. Unbearably hot, and despite the constant grumbling on my behalf, the journey was silent, which only served to annoy me more.

'How much farther? When can we stop for a break? I'm so thirsty I could drink my own blood–'

'Oh my God, will you shut your mouth?! I can't take your whining any longer…' Kisame threw his arms in the air, almost dropping the kunoichi that was hanging on his shoulders. 'You're supposed to be a traveller. Shouldn't you be used to long journeys by now?'

I smirked, glad to finally be getting some attention. 'Of course I am, but I actually pause for basic human needs once in a while.'

'Will it keep you quiet if we take a quick break?'

I pursed my lips, purposely winding him up since I had learned that he was very easy to crack. 'Depends…'

He raised an eyebrow and glowered at me. 'On?' He prompted when I didn't reply.

I just shrugged. 'On whether or not the second part of the journey will be as boring as this one, I guess.'

Itachi chose this moment to come to a stand still, causing me to walk straight into his back. I stumbled backwards mumbling something incoherent and crossed my arms over my chest.

'We'll stop here for 5 minutes.' He deadpanned.

'Here's your stupid drink.' Accepting the water bottle eagerly from Kisame, I flopped to the ground beside a rock and glugged the cooling liquid.

'So, what exactly is Akatsuki?'

The partners exchanged suspicious glances, but I let it slide when small white eyes turned to meet mine.

'It's a group of S-Rank criminals.'

I scoffed and tossed the bottle back to it's owner. 'Yeah, and I'm the frickin' Emperor…'

'Is it really so hard to believe?'

'Well, no offence, but you are way to easy to annoy, and Mr Prodigy here isn't exactly missing-nin material.'

A loud, throaty laugh erupted from Kisame's throat making me jump slightly. 'Alright then, Your Highness. You just wait till we arrive at the base. Pein-sama will _love_ you…'

I resisted a snide comment about their supposed leader's name and clambered to my feet. 'Whatever. Come on then, don't want to keep precious leader waiting, do we?'

'You don't know what you're up against, girl.' He sneered.

I didn't believe his definition of Akatsuki in the slightest and it was pretty obvious he was just trying to scare me. There's no way Itachi would have left the Leaf village, let alone his adoring little brother.

The rest of the trip wasn't as bad as the start and I did get the odd snippets of conversation from the taller Akatsuki member. We walked for another four to five hours before we arrived at a long winding river running through a deep, rocky valley. The pair stopped in front of a large conspicuous boulder, and I watched in fascination as Itachi made a few simple hands signs. The walls began to vibrate immediately, until a dark and spacious cavern was revealed from behind the giant stone.

Kisame beckoned at me to follow as they made their way into the shadows. I hesitated in the entryway, trying to determine how safe their 'base' was after all those vibrations.

'Hurry up or the wall will squash you.'

I scowled but did as he said, consciously trying to ignore the little voice that was whispering, _you have no idea what you're letting yourself in for…_

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**A/N: Yes, I made Akira clueless about the Massacre etc. I'm such a nasty pasty when it comes to bullying my characters emotions, so you have all that to look forward to!**

**There's some fluff on the way in the next chapter and the other Akatsuki are introduced :)**

**Let me know what you think so far, and feel free to give me your suggestions!**

**See you then! x**


	13. Prisoner

**A/N: Hello again my wonderful readers :)**

**So here's Chapter 13, which you almost didn't have since Microsoft Word decided it was going to retire for the night and crash. Luckily I did manage to salvage my work but that also means that I'm now only half a chapter ahead in my pre-writing.**

**Hope you like this chapter.**

**And thanks to iJoeyMonster for your awesome reviews :D**

**Enjoy x**

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Why I willingly followed them here the whole way, I'll never know. Fū had been dumped unceremoniously in the centre of the cavern, and I squinted angrily through the darkness at the two retreating figures.

Torn between hovering protectively beside Fū and following the members into the unknown shadows, I stomped my foot childishly against the rock floor, shouting after them. 'Hey! Where are you going?'

Kisame turned around a shot me a toothy grin. 'Oh yeah, I forgot about you…' I scowled but he ignored me and continued. 'I guess you should probably come with us to report to Pein-sama.'

'What about Fū? Are you just gonna leave her here, like this?' I waved my hand over her crumpled, unconscious body.

'…'

I sighed and rolled my eyes, jogging slightly to catch them up. Clearly they were sufficiently unaware of the term 'hospitality'. They led me down a narrow staircase that required another simple hand sign to reveal, and into a dim candle-lit corridor. I shuddered at the draft, and I was suddenly aware of several other chakra signatures in the surrounding area. My eyes darted around the hallway, only relaxing when I realised that neither Kisame or Itachi had reacted to the new presences. They must be part of Akatsuki. I detected seven other life forms in total, all with scarily large amounts of strength that made me feel uneasy.

Finally, the pair paused outside an old, worn-looking wooden door, and Itachi turned to glance from his partner to me. As he did so, my eyes landed on a familiar ninja headband and my gut twisted slightly as I absorbed the sight. There, etched profoundly in the metal across the hidden Leaf symbol, was a single rough, jagged line. _How did I not notice that before?_

'Wait here.' His black eyes flashed me a warning glare, before the two disappeared into the room, leaving me no time to question or protest.

While I waited for further instruction, my mind wandered back to our earlier conversation. _It's a group of S-Rank criminals…_ Was I completely and utterly wrong in my automatic assumption that this was a total lie? Surely not… Itachi would never…

The door opened, allowing a tiny crack of light to filter through the gap as a deep, authoritative voice sounded from inside. 'Enter.'

I gulped audibly, shuffling forward and pushing on the heavy wood. The first thing I saw when I entered the room, was Kisame and Itachi kneeling respectfully each on one knee with their heads bowed. I frowned finding it incredibly strange to see them both in such a submissive pose. My eyes slowly edged around the room. It was an office, and a very simplistic one at that. There was an extended bookshelf against the far wall, brimming with untidy looking folders and papers strewn across the floor surrounding it. There was a broken wall clock just beside it, and beneath the clock face there were three wooden chairs stacked precariously against the wall.

Lastly, I found the office owner. He was a young, averaged sized male, with bright orange hair that spiked out uncontrollably in all directions. His face was heavily decorated with silver metal piercings, and I froze as my gaze met with serious-looking, lavender ringed irises.

'So…' He spoke calmly, resting his chin against one open palm, his elbow leaning casually on his tattered desk. 'You want to join the Akatsuki?'

I blinked at the man, my mouth falling open slightly. 'I don't recall ever making such a statement.' I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.

He cocked his head to the side, regarding me strangely. 'You are either very brave or very stupid. Do you even know who we are?'

'Not really.' And I didn't really care. 'I'm just here to help the Jinchuuriki…' I trailed off as he chuckled cruelly and, unable to hold back my infamous attitude, I huffed. 'Hey, I don't who you think you are but don't you dare underestimate me!'

Within seconds, he was behind me, a slight rush of air swished through my hair at the movement, and his breath sent a shiver down my neck as he spoke into my ear. 'Hmm. Well, isn't this interesting…'

I frowned when I realised he wasn't talking about me.

'Stand down, Uchiha.' He growled. My eyes flickered to Itachi, who was now stood facing me, his hand half drawn into his weapons pouch. Itachi knelt back into his initial position and Pein withdrew from my ear. He moved to lean against the front of his desk and smirked. As I stared bewilderedly, the carrot-topped leader spoke again.

'Well then, if you do not wish to join us, you will become our prisoner. Konan!' A side door that I had not noticed before swung open, and a pretty, lilac-haired woman strode through. 'Take this girl to the spare chambers, have Sasori place a four seal barrier on the door.'

She nodded and wandered over to my position. She offered me a sympathetic look and gestured at me to follow. With one last angry glare at Pein, I stomped after her grumbling futilely about how no one has any respect these days.

XXx

Considering that I was a prisoner, the spare chambers were actually quite decent. The bedroom had a thick-quilted double bed and a tall set of chest of drawers in the corner beside an old-fashioned-looking dressing table. The mirror was cracked slightly along one side, but other than that, the room was fine. I wandered into the en suite bathroom and poked around in the empty cupboards, hoping for something to entertain me.

When Konan had left me earlier, she had told me that someone would be coming to bring me some food later that evening, but so far no one had arrived. I huffed and sank into the mattress. My mind roamed back to Itachi's scratched headband and I once again found myself in a turmoil of disbelief. Then again, a lot could happen in five years. Perhaps the reason was something petty such as a mere disagreement with his father? I shook my head. No, there was no way he'd go to such extremes. Something big must have happened for him to willingly leave his own family. So what was I missing?

A knock on the door startled me back into reality and, clearing my throat, I called out a response.

'Yes?' I frowned, not really knowing what else to say. I was the prisoner here, so why even bother knocking? When the door swung open my gaze landed on familiar small white orbs. 'So, come to recruit the new member eh, Shark boy?'

Kisame rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 'Yeah, about that… I just said I thought you'd be useful. Pein-sama was the one who concluded that you wanted to join!'

I tutted and crossed my legs. 'And to what do I owe the pleasure?'

He grinned. 'Introductions. Come on, you're free to roam the base now so long as you don't try to escape. Not that you'd be able to…'

'Oh. I didn't take your high and mighty leader to be one to change his mind so easily.'

'He's not. You may be a prisoner, but you're a useful one. Might as well keep you happy to some extent.'

'I'm honoured…' I retorted sarcastically. I followed him through several symmetrical grey corridors until eventually we reached something that could only be described as a living room, crammed with three large couches and several mismatched armchairs. The first person I noticed was Itachi, sitting mutely in a corner armchair and reading what looked to be a newspaper. He didn't even bat an eyelid at our presence, and my heart sank a little. But only a tiny, little bit.

There were three other 'members' seated around the room, all male, and all strange looking. The first had long blonde hair that fell loosely over his face, leaving only one blue eye on show, while the back of his hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Beside him sat a young, crimson haired boy who I recognised as the one called Sasori, as he had been present earlier to create the seal on my door.

Finally, there was an older man who appeared to be vigorously counting money, and the only part of his face on show was his strange duo-coloured eyes. His irises were a striking green whereas his sclera were a dark but dull red. I shuddered involuntarily at his almost demonic appearance.

Kisame plonked himself on the couch nearest to his partner and beckoned for me to join him. I did so hesitantly, glancing from face to face as I moved to sit down. For a moment, I didn't think anyone was going to speak and my shoulders visibly sagged in relief when Kisame's voice finally rang out.

'Where are the others?'

The blonde looked up disinterestedly. 'Hidan is off hunting Zetsu 'cause he ate his sandwich again, so we probably won't see either of them for a while, yeah. Pein's probably in his office with Konan.'

He went back to moulding a small ball of white clay between his fingers, not even glancing in my direction. Suddenly, something clicked in my memory and I gasped, causing the blonde to finally react. He raised an irritated eyebrow when he caught my gaze. 'Can I help you?'

'You're Deidara of the Rock Village, aren't you?'

A brief flicker of surprise crossed his face before he scoffed. 'Yeah, what of it?'

I blinked. 'Nothing of it. I was just saying…' I turned my blank expression to the red head beside him. 'You're the one who put the seal on my door, Sasori, correct?'

He regarded me carefully before nodding once. I rolled my eyes, annoyed that I was having to introduce myself. 'You, I've never seen or heard of. Hidden Waterfall, huh? We were just there…' I trailed off when I realised the older man was glaring at me.

Kisame chuckled. 'That's Kakuzu. You might not wanna interrupt him when he's counting his precious pennies.'

I laughed, lightly. 'I'll bare that in mind. So, I guess you were telling the truth when you said you were criminals…'

'Run out of 'reasonable explanations'?' The blue male smirked, gaining a unappreciative scowl from me.

'If I say yes, will you give me an actual explanation?'

'It's highly unlikely.'

'Then no.' I crossed my arms stubbornly and tilted my head to see Deidara of the Hidden Rock village chuckling. I was about to snap something sarcastic when Itachi suddenly decided to grace us with his opinion.

'You really need to learn some composure.'

I scoffed and turned a furious sapphire glare his way. 'Oh my God, it speaks! Pfft, why should _I_ learn some composure anyway when you alone are stoic enough for the entire group, _Uchiha_?'

He raised an eyebrow a tiny fraction. 'Still as short-tempered as ever, I see…'

'At least I actually express some emotion once in a while…'

From across the room, the blonde laughed loudly. 'Maybe you're aren't so bad after all, new girl.'

'You're all as bad as each other…' Itachi mumbled, standing up to leave. 'The extraction of the Bijuu begins in one hour. You should all be prepared.'

My breath hitched in my throat at this. 'Fū…' I had forgotten all about her. I received several curious looks from the members before jogging out after the Uchiha.

'Hey!' I called after him, annoyed when he ignored me and continued to stalk off through the corridor. I jumped in front of him, spreading out my arms and touching each wall with my fingertips to cut him off. 'What is your problem?'

'I could ask you the same thing.' He made no move to leave, so I took my chance to question his ninja status.

'What happened back in Konaha?' An unknown emotion flickered across his eyes, but he remained silent. 'I _will_ find out sooner or later, Itachi. And when I do I'd rather it be from you…' I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

After a minute, he sighed. 'Shisui killed himself.'

A million emotions whirled through my brain until I settled on one very disturbing thought. 'Why…?'

'The Uchiha became too power-hungry. The Leaf knew about this and Shisui concluded that, in order to protect the village and prevent the power of his eyes getting into the wrong hands, he should sacrifice himself.'

I shook my head furiously. 'No! There had to be another way! Shisui would never just… Give up…'

'There was no other way.' His voice was a little gentler now, and tiny flecks of emotion began to seep through to litter his dark irises. Within a second, the emotion faded and was replaced by a cool, hard glare. His voice mirrored his expression as he spoke his final words to me. 'The Uchiha are dead, Akira. I killed every last one of them. That is why I left the village.'

And with that, he strode away, shoving past my now limp figure and disappearing down the hall.

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**A/N: I know he left Sasuke alive, but there is a reason why he didn't tell her that.**

**Besides he's just trying to get rid of her for now.**

**ALSO, No. I have still not forgotten about the wolves secret hatred of the Uchiha. That is coming up soon.**

**See you then! x**


	14. Fight for your Life

**A/N: So, I was actually quite excited to upload this chapter and nearly put it up yesterday, but I resisted and managed to stick to my original plan of one a day.**

**Oh and I've completely redone the title, and summary because, let's face it, the last ones were crap. Rating has also changed to T since there's only occasional swearing.**

**I've also finally gotten to the wolves secret, which is half revealed in this chapter, and the rest in the next.**

**Enjoy :D x**

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Over the next three days, I wandered the base in a trance, vaguely aware that the members had all suddenly disappeared, and I briefly wondered if it was all to do with the 'extraction of the Bijuu' as Itachi had said. I shuddered as my mind raced back to Fū, dumped and abandoned in that dark, unwelcoming cove. She didn't deserve to be here, and that was all my fault.

I tried anything and everything to avoid thinking back to the Uchiha, but the images imprinted on my mind were undeniable. Mikoto, with her soft, maternal nature, betrayed and murdered by her own son. And Sasuke… He was so young and innocent; he wouldn't have had anything to do with the family affairs, so why did he…? It wasn't fair.

But then, there was always this constant niggling at the back of my mind that something wasn't right. Itachi hadn't told me the full story… What had he left out? Despite everything, I found it hard to believe that he would just take matters into his own hands and massacre his entire clan, including his beloved little brother. No, there was definitely something else to it. _And mark my words, Uchiha, I _will_ find out._

An obnoxious exclamation and a series of cuss words dragged me out of my thoughts, and I glared up into bright magenta eyes that were glaring daggers back. 'Who's the bitch?'

I snorted loudly, in a very unlady-like fashion. 'Are you all this polite or is it just you?'

'Oh, bitch with an attitude…'

'She's the new girl.' Deidara cut him off as he strolled in and slumped himself onto the couch where I was sitting.

'I am not. I'm just here to–'

'Will you quit with the Jinchuuriki-friendly act? You're too late now anyway Fū's gone.' Kisame muttered as he followed his partner – who I was refusing to look at – across the room to the seats in the corner.

My heart panged slightly as I took in what he'd said. I didn't question him, instead choosing to believe that they finished with whatever they were doing and let her go.

The pink-eyed man ran a hand through his grey, slicked back hair. 'Guess you'll just have to find another reason to stick around then, huh bitch?' He winked at me and I grimaced.

'Yeah, but there's a great reason for me _not_ to stay standing right in front of me.'

A few of the other members chuckled at my insult, and I scooched out of my seat and headed for the door as the grey-haired man swore angrily after me. In my retreat, I bumped into a strange bi-coloured figure with what looked like a Venus Fly Trap around his head.

'S-sorry…' I mumbled, edging my way around him.

'**You will be.** Don't worry about it.'

I blinked in confusion and paused to regard him carefully.

'**You must be the new girl.** I'm Zetsu! Nice to meet you,' I bit my lip frowning slightly, but took his outstretched hand anyway to shake it.

'Akira.' I nodded at him and flinched when the grey-haired man's angry voice rang out from the living room.

The plant guy smirked. '**Pissed Hidan off already?** You'll fit in just fine then.'

Before I could respond he disappeared into the room I had just left, and I broke into a jog to escape to my room.

xXx

I had not left my room for the majority of that day, so it surprised me when my door was swung open that evening to reveal a very riled looking Hidan.

I gulped slightly, sitting up on my bed. 'C-can I help you?'

'Get up, bitch. Pein wants to see you fight to check if you're worthy to join us.'

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. 'But I don't want to join you… Why does everyone keep saying that?'

'Well, you can join, or maybe I'll just keep you as my bitch. Your choice.' He smirked cruelly and I rolled my eyes, annoyed.

'Guess I'm joining the Akatsuki then.'

He pouted momentarily and I resisted the childish urge to stick my tongue out. I followed him in silence to their outdoor training ground, which was essentially just a small forest surrounded by chakra-absorbing barbed wire and probably some sort of cloaking barrier.

Curiosity got the better of me and I turned to Hidan. 'Who am I fighting?'

'Wait and fucking see.'

As he spoke, I noticed a small round pendant hanging from his neck, with an upside-down triangle in the centre. 'So, you're a Jashinist, huh?' Figures. Only a Jashin worshiper could be so aggressive in everything they do, including speech.

He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows. 'You know of Lord Jashin?'

'I've been travelling all my life. You pick up things along the way.' I shrugged. I had actually passed by a temple a few years back that was dedicated to the ways of the dark God.

For a minute, I thought he was actually going to smile at me, but our attention was caught by a sudden increase of chakra signatures, as the rest of the members, including Pein and Konan, filed into the training ground.

'Bout fucking time!' Hidan moved to stand with the rest of the group leaving me alone in the centre of the clearing.

'You understand what I expect of you?' Pein spoke out, but it wasn't to me. The voice that replied made me groan internally. Of course, it just _had_ to be him.

'Yes, Pein-sama.' The Uchiha stepped forward, his red eyes blazing.

I positioned my hands on either one of my hips and raised an eyebrow. 'What exactly _do_ you expect of him?'

'To attack with killing intent.' Pein responded casually. I supposed I should have seen that coming.

Itachi had moved to stand opposite me in the clearing, and I forced the irritating Déjà vu feeling to the back of my mind. Pein glanced between the two of us and once we were both prepared, nodded his head once. 'Begin.'

I channelled chakra to my feet instantly as Itachi disappeared from sight. I leapt forward just in time to narrowly miss the slash of a kunai against my neck from behind. _Ha, saw that coming._ Shaking myself out of my moment of glory, I flipped backwards in an attempt to gain some distance. While still in the air, I quickly wove my wind style signs and released my jutsu as soon as my feet hit the floor with a light thud.

'Wind Style: Mystic Glacial wind!' The leaves around us suddenly began to ripple violently around the trees as a howling icy wind ripped and sliced its way through their branches. Itachi hadn't moved, he was watching me carefully and analysing this unfamiliar technique. I focused my chakra as it coursed through the roaring element, and sent a thin, barely noticeable current hurtling towards my opponent.

With his Sharingan activated, he easily dodged and leapt forward into a sprint, heading straight for me. Thinking fast, I whipped up a whirlwind spiralling around my figure, my ultimate defence. It blocked and retaliated several shuriken that were flung cautiously towards the wind wall perfectly, and I began to gather my chakra into both of my palms. I wove a quick sign and dispelled my defence, thrusting my fist into the air towards the Uchiha opposite me. His eyes flashed with recognition and his hands merged into a lightning fast blur of fire signals.

'Wind Style: Wind Chakra Claw!'

'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!'

The two creations erupted and crashed together in the centre. I winced as a few stray flames managed to singe my left arm and I leapt up into a nearby tree branch. My eyes scanned the scene for Itachi, alarm bells ringing deafeningly in my brain. I picked up his chakra signal a second too late, as a relentless kick connected harshly with my gut, sending my flailing backwards. I hit the floor hard, coughing up blood and spluttering for air.

When I refocused, crimson red eyes were inches from mine and I watched curiously as they swivelled from three, comma-like marks into some sort of three-bladed pinwheel. I was vaguely aware that there were several stages to this Kekkei Genkai, but I was unsure of the details. I shifted awkwardly from beneath him as he pinned me further into the ground, his knees trapping my arms beside me as his hands held my shoulders firmly in place.

'Mangekyo Sharingan.' He spoke so quietly that I just barely heard him speak. For a minute, nothing happened. Suddenly, the sky took on a blood red tint and the clouds whipped through the sky at a dangerously fast speed. I squirmed in panic, until I felt the weight lift off me. My head darted forward but my hair was painfully yanked back causing me to cry out. I glanced behind me, but I was alone. An invisible force pushed down on my chest and I gasped for air as struggled to breathe.

I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated hard on my breathing. _This is just a Genjutsu. I'm immune to the average Sharingan, but this is clearly more advanced. Maybe I can counter this…_

I took several deep breaths before testing my theory. I allowed my chakra to swirl through my veins, and as it slowly began to mingle with the coursing adrenalin, I began to hum softly. It was a lullaby that I had heard on my travels, and as my gentle instrumental grew in volume, I felt myself relax. The way my Kekkei Genkai worked was by initiating Genjutsu through music, and it wasn't long before the familiar sound of voices floated to my ears.

'Is she finished?'

'Yes, Pein-sama. She is under my Mangekyo Genjutsu and there is no breaking out of such a technique.'

'Very well.'

My eyes flew open and I leapt forward, shoving aside the bewildered Uchiha and leader as I dashed to the far side of the ring gathering chakra to my fists. From the corner of my eye I saw Pein move back to the side of the ring, and I made my hand sign as fast as physically possible, thrusting my arms forward. I sent two giant, boomerang-shapes of wind chakra hurtling at Itachi, who had frozen in shock. The wind claws criss-crossed and locked onto their target.

He visably shook himself and flung his body backwards, but not before one of my boomerangs managed to slice a deep gash roughly just below his chest. He winced and stumbled as he landed, panting as his hands flew to his wound. Mustering as much of my fast-depleting chakra as I could, I nipped my thumb and slammed my hand to the ground, summoning an enormous two-toned wolf.

Akuma snarled at the sight, his red eyes staring deep into the crimson Sharingan. 'Not the bloody Uchiha again…'

Itachi glowered at the wolf and, regaining his composure, began to weave his hands in a water style sign. My eyes flashed. I hadn't known he possessed such a chakra nature.

'Water style: Water fang bullet!'

'Akuma!'

The giant lupus nodded, allowing my to scramble onto his back before Itachi could release his jutsu. I channelled a steady flow of chakra through my feet into Akuma's system, aiding him as we dodged.

I kneeled down and whispered in one red-tipped ear, low enough so that only he could hear.

He gave a cruel-looking feral smirk, and crouched to the ground. 'Finally…' His voice rumbled from deep within his throat. I grinned as his eyes began to swirl, from their usual deep red to a dark maroon colour, with three small, comma-like bullets.

The Uchiha before us stopped dead in his tracks, locking gazes with my furry companion. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. A commotion of gasps and whispers rose from the crowd of Akatsuki members watching, only making Akuma's smirk grow.

'Let's go, Akuma!' He didn't need to be told twice. He darted forward at an unimaginable speed, reaching Itachi before he could blink. His right paw swung at the Uchiha, and he was thrown sideways, tumbling violently into a tree trunk. The wolf growled and appeared before him, eyes blazing and nostrils flaring. Itachi stared up in a daze at the creature as he towered above him.

After that, everything was still. Nobody dared to breathe, all far too absorbed in what was being revealed before them.

I slid off Akuma's back and crossed my arms over my chest as my eyes flickered across Itachi's horrified face. 'Well, what do you know. The famous Sharingan user, caught in a Genjutsu…'

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**A/N: Hope you're all enjoying so far...**

******May I remi****nd you lovely readers that I am still beta-ing for myself and please do feel free to let me know if I've missed any mistakes!**

**See you around! x**


	15. The Truth

**A/N: Ooooo the moment of truth!**

**Literally, since this chapter is entitled 'The truth'.**

**I finally got the secret out there and I hope it's not disappointing :D**

**Enjoy x**

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Pein was behind me in seconds, his hands clamped firmly over my shoulders as he spun me around to glare at me in the eye.

'Explain. Now.'

I cast a sideways glance at Akuma, who grinned a toothy grin before he left, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. As soon as he had gone, the Itachi began to stir, scrambling to his feet and wheezing heavily. His eyes caught mine, and he glared with such hostility that I hadn't thought possible.

'Not so cocky now, huh, Itachi?'

Suddenly, Pein slapped me hard across the cheek and sent me sprawling across the grass. Before I could react, his hand was tightly wrapped around my throat as he slammed my head into a tree behind me. A loud, spluttering choke erupted from my throat, and the next thing I heard was his voice, low and dangerous in my ear.

'Explain.'

I flinched at his tone and tried feebly to stutter a broken reply. 'M-my summons contract… Akuma is one of… the original p-possessors of… the _true_ Sharingan…' My voice quivered as I felt my brain shutting down. My heavy eyelids drooped and my breathing turned hoarse and shallow as Pein released my throat.

The last thing I remember was someone catch me as I slumped to the floor, and a calming voice whispering to me. 'Rest now…'

xXx

When I awoke, I found myself snugly tucked away beneath the thick duvet in the spare chambers. I sat up a little too quickly, groaning as my head throbbed at the sudden movement. I was alone, and I stretched my stiffening muscles as I headed for the door, only to find that the four seal barrier was still annoyingly in place. I tutted and stumbled into the bathroom in desperate need of a shower. Draping my clothes lazily over the bed, I rummaged in the chest of drawers and was relieved to find a clean towel in the bottom drawer.

As soon as the soothing hot water hit my skin, I sighed, feeling myself completely relax. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that there were several small sample bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body lotion supplied on the shelf in the shower cubicle.

I'm not sure how long I stayed in there, but by the time I finally flicked the water off, my skin was beginning to resemble that of a prune. I chuckled to myself quietly, before pulling open the shower door and gasping as the cold air contrasted with my steaming body.

I snuggled into the towel I had found and hurried into the bedroom to change. Unfortunately, it was then that I realised I was no longer alone. My door had been flung open, and in its place was a very red looking Hidan. I froze. The phrase 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' sprang to mind, but this was no time for snide comments.

Before I could make a run for it back to the bathroom, Hidan snapped out of his temporary embarrassment to roar with laughter. I gave him my most deathly scowl and tugged the towel further around my slender figure protectively.

'What the hell! Don't just stand there, get out, you imbecile!' I darted behind the en suite door and poked my head around the frame so that I could continue my glaring.

When he made no move to leave, I hissed angrily and threw one of the small bottles of conditioner at his – irritatingly – bare chest. 'Hidan, you pervert! GET OUT!'

He managed to shuffle backwards enough for me to edge forward to slam the door in his face, his laughter still ringing through the wood obnoxiously.

I dressed furiously and snatched my teal hair up into a scruffy, side-ponytail, ringing it out slightly as I did so. Then I stalked towards the corridor to shout through the still-closed door. 'What the hell did you want?'

His uncontrolled laughing lessened, and when the door was once again open, it had died down completely.

'Pein wants to fucking see you. No need to get snappy with me, you're the one who walked out wearing nothing but a towel!'

'Yeah, in my room! Ever heard of knocking, dipshit?'

'Why would anyone bother to knock if that's the sight they're greeted with?' He smirked and I grimaced at his vulgar mind.

'Whatever, you perv. Where is he?' I knew what this would be about… Maybe revealing Akuma's secret wasn't such a good idea after all?

Hidan led me to the room I recognised as Pein's office. He left me by the door, and as he retreated down the hallway I scoffed, mumbling after him that he was a coward. I swallowed hard and knocked on the door.

'Enter.'

It didn't really surprise me that Itachi was also present, seated in one of the worn-looking chairs that had once been stacked against the wall. There was another beside him, and the orange-haired man beckoned for me to sit. I did so without a sound.

'Firstly, I should inform you that after your little display, you are now officially a member of the Akatsuki, and after this meeting, Konan will present you with your ring and cloak.'

I hadn't really been expecting or wanting that, but I held my tongue as he continued.

'Now, onto the real reason I called you here…' Pein's eyes rested upon the Uchiha beside me who shifted uncomfortably at the attention. 'I am no fool. You've known each other prior to your encounter in Takigakure.'

Black eyes flickered to mine briefly, before he turned back to his, no _our,_ leader. 'Akira resided in the Leaf for a short period, prior to the Uchiha massacre.' I visably winced as he spoke of his clan's death, but he didn't pause to acknowledge my discomfort. 'She befriended my cousin, Shisui Uchiha, and my younger brother took a shine to her also.' He frowned slightly. 'Come to think of it, so did my mother.'

'I see. She knows of the massacre then, I assume.'

'Only what I have told her.' Itachi's eyes hardened slightly as though worried Pein were about to reveal something important. Something important that he hadn't told me.

Pein raised an eyebrow and glanced in my direction. My head had tilted subconsciously towards the Uchiha as he'd spoken, but I straighten up quickly as I caught the piercing ringed gaze. 'Which is?'

When Itachi didn't respond, I assumed he was asking me. 'That he killed his entire clan…' I said slowly, watching intently from the corner of my eye for any hint of emotion from Itachi.

'I see. You were close to his brother?' The corners of his mouth tugged into a smirk. 'Sasuke Uchiha…'

Itachi's hand fisted tightly around his kneecap where it had been resting, and I knew then that there was definitely something else to it.

The smirk faded abruptly from Pein's face as his expression once again turned serious. 'Next I wish to address the events that occurred during your very entertaining fight display.'

His purple eyes once again landed on Itachi, who nodded and took over from there. 'The first issue is merely my own curiosity. Earlier, I used my Mangekyo Sharingan on you. This is a technique that is… or _was_, supposed to be impossible to break out of. I'm aware of your immunity to the initial stages of the Sharingan, but the Mangekyo is something different entirely.'

I vaguely noted that this was the most he had actually spoken to me since I left him five years ago. I frowned at my wandering thoughts and turned to reply. 'I have never come across such a technique before. My thinking was to try to counter your Genjutsu with one of my own. My Kekkei Genkai allows me to manipulate memories and images through music, so I used this to attempt to break free. Apparently it worked…'

'Now for the more pressing matter.' Pein's words cut through mine like a knife and I resisted directing a scowl towards the orange-haired man. 'Akuma, as I recall?'

I fumbled with my hands, suddenly finding my nails very interesting as I mumbled my response. 'I'm not really sure how much information I can give…' Suddenly, a sly thought entered my mind, one that I hoped would not get me killed if I suggested it. 'I will, however, disclose this information willingly, provided that…' I trailed off as Pein's eyes glinted with amusement. Itachi was watching me curiously from the corner of his eye, and he cocked his head slightly when I paused.

'You have terms.' It wasn't a question, and I nodded meekly suddenly feeling very nervous. Pein leaned back swiftly in his chair and folded his arms across his chest as he raised an eyebrow. 'Do tell.'

I swallowed my guilt and locked eyes with the Uchiha. 'If you tell me the truth about the Uchiha massacre.'

Itachi's eyes widened before settling into a glare. He opened his mouth probably to refuse but Pein spoke first.

'Done.'

'What?' The Uchiha half-growled, dropping all manner of composure.

Our leader only smirked wider. He was clearly thoroughly enjoying himself. 'Akira. Please do continue.'

_Oh well, too late to back out now, I guess._ 'Umm, well it dates back to the very first generations of the Uchiha. See, the original holders of the Sharingan truly was the wolf clan, long before any human managed to obtain it.' I could almost feel the onyx glare burning holes in the side of my head as I spoke. 'Their very first summons contract was with a man named Madara Uchiha.'

Pein's interested look suddenly turned very solemn, making me hesitate as my breath hitched in my throat. 'Continue.' He pressed.

'S-so, anyway. When the man found out about the wolves' visual powers, he wanted it for himself, and went behind their back, betraying them and stealing their long kept secrets.'

The leader raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. 'He stole the Sharingan?'

I nodded slowly. 'He took it from a wolf, named Mizu. She was Akuma's younger sister…' My heart throbbed silently as I remembered Akuma's story. They had been very close and I had honestly never seen the black and red wolf so grief-stricken and hurt as when he spoke of Mizu. 'He slaughtered her as she slept one night, and implanted her eyes into himself. When the operation was a success, he moved onto stealing other wolves' eyesight's and implanting them into his relatives, thus creating the Uchiha clan. The power grew within the humans, and eventually began to be passed on genetically. Akuma is the only remaining wolf with the Sharingan, since the rest of his family were murdered.' I concluded, sadly.

Neither of them moved for a moment, both lost in thought until eventually, Pein broke the silence. 'You are both dismissed. Itachi will hold up his end of the bargain. That's an order.' He added quickly, before the irritated Uchiha could protest.

Itachi stalked out into the corridor and I followed after him quickly, wanting to be as far away from that room as physically possible.

Finally, his steps falters and he spun on his heel to glower at me. I shrunk under his glare, but my feet remained firmly planted in place and I bravely raised my gaze to meet his.

'Is that true?'

I blinked at the strange question.

'What you told Pein-sama about the Sharingan. Is that true?'

I nodded, still confused. Why would I make all of that up? 'Only the wolves know about it, the elder Uchiha's thought it best to hide certain details from future generations… Understandably.'

He sighed and leaned against the wall in defeat. 'You already know what happened to the Uchiha.'

'No, I don't. You're hiding something from me. Why won't you tell me?'

'Because there's nothing more to tell!'

'If you don't tell me then _somebody_ will…'

'Akira, will you just drop it?'

'No I will not!' I stomped my foot childishly. 'I'll never let it go! I will always keep digging and searching until eventually something or someone will–'

'Sasuke is still alive! Okay? I didn't kill him.'

I stared at him in shock. But something else was bothering me. 'Why?'

'Because he was just a child. He had nothing to do with the clan affairs–'

'No, _why_? Why didn't you kill him?'

'I left him alive so that he could be the one to kill me. When I die I want it to be at the hands of an Uchiha.'

I regarded him carefully for a minute. 'You're lying.'

'I'm not–'

'Stop it! _Please_! Why won't you just tell me the truth, Itachi?' I practically screamed at him, desperately shaking my head in a blind fury. My hands balled into fists by my sides as he cast his eyes to the ground. He mumbled something incoherent and I had to ask him to repeat himself. He did so, very reluctantly.

'Because it's easier to let you hate me…'

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**A/N: SO. That's that.**

**I'm a tad behind on writing the next chapter (yes I finally caught up with myself, damn it!) so I need to get my writing socks on.**

**It's my little brothers birthday today though so it might turn into a mad typing rush tomorrow in order to update for around 5ish, which is usually when I update. Wow that's really sad isn't it? All I do is write, read and update. Lmao.**

**ANYWAY :) See you then! x**


	16. Nostalgia

**A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is two whole days late!**

**There's been so much crazy shit happening. Also, I've had a serious case of writers block.**

**I can't guarantee the next chapter will be up tomorrow either, but I am doing my best, I promise.**

**Let me know your thoughts, and any ideas are much appreciated right now!**

**Enjoy x**

* * *

I felt tears well up in my eyes as I resisted the overwhelming urge to comfort him. His eyes were still downcast, his head hanging limply as he leaned against the stone wall in an almost vulnerable fashion.

'It doesn't have to be like this…' My voice was barely a whisper, and I inched forward until my forehead was almost touching his. He made no move to resist as I very slowly moved my arms until they wrapped around his neck. Burying my face into his shoulder, I let a small droplet trickle down my cheek and my hands wove their way into his low ponytail.

'Akira…' He mumbled against the back of my neck. I felt his arms curl around my waist, pulling me closer. I inhaled his strong scent of cologne, a mixture of burnt wood and earth, nuzzling further into his embrace. I hadn't realised how much I had missed him…

In that moment, I realised that no matter what he told me of the past, I didn't care. I knew he would have his reasons for doing what he did, and who was I to force them out of him? Right now, all I wanted to do was stay here in this moment forever. I wanted him to be happy again, to laugh again like the children we once were. But I knew deep down, that fate would inevitably find its cruel ways to twist us back into the harsh reality that we called a life.

After a few long moments, he gently pushed me backwards and I tried to focus my blurry vision to meet his gaze, and mumbled something I should have told him a long time ago. 'I'm sorry, Itachi…'

To my surprise, amusement flared in his black eyes and his lips curved into a small smile as he released my waist to hold my shoulders. I'm almost 100% positive that he was going to say or do something very out of character, if what happened next had not.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, it did. A terrible rumbling exploded throughout the base, and a series of shouts and swearing echoed around the halls. I recognised the first voice as Hidan, of course. The second was more muffled, as though through gritted teeth, but after another deafening blast, I decided on Deidara.

Itachi shot me a strange, almost sympathetic look, before spinning me around and pushing me hurriedly down the hall towards the commotion. As I was being directed, I sniffed my final sniff and quickly wiped away any evidence of my weaker emotions.

The first thing we came across was a crumpled heap of blonde and red, and I had to blink several times before distinguishing them as Deidara and Sasori. The Uchiha behind me sighed in an almost understanding manner, and I glanced over my shoulder to question him. Before the words even had a chance of leaving my mouth, I heard Deidara yelp, and when I turned back around, the pair had moved so that Sasori now had Deidara by the throat against the wall.

'You do that again and next time you'll live to regret it.' Sasori kept his voice even and calm, but his threat still managed to reach the desired effect. Deidara scowled past his partner and into the living room, where Hidan had appeared leaning casually in the doorway.

'He started it, yeah…'

Hidan's eyes widened in mock innocence. 'My fault? Deidara-_chan_, I would _never_!'

'Shut up, you sleazy bastard!' Deidara snapped, whacking Sasori's hand away and stomping up to the pink-eyed Jashinist. 'If _you_,' he jabbed a finger into Hidan's bare chest with as much force as he could muster, 'hadn't insisted on watching such a STUPID blood-thirsty film, then _you_ wouldn't have gotten yourself so riled up.'

Sasori scoffed as he turned to walk away from the scene, muttering something incoherent about idiots.

Hidan shook off the innocent gleam in his expression and twisted his face into a triumphant grin. 'You were the bastard who blew up the fucking table in Sasori's face.'

'To get you the hell away from sacrificing me, yeah!'

'Sasori sure didn't seem to fucking mind…'

'Sasori doesn't care about anything except his stupid interpretation of art… And since when did Sasori's opinion matter, yeah?'

Itachi lifted his hands to rub his temples, probably trying to subdue an oncoming migraine, understandably. I sucked in a breath and prowled forward to the two fuming males. Shoving Deidara backwards, I moved to stand in between them sideways.

'Will you both shut up? I'm sure you'll get over whatever happened in no time and will soon be off and moaning about the next stupid thing you guys come up with…'

Deidara rolled his eyes. 'And here I thought you and I could be friends, yeah…'

'Fucking bitch. How about I sacrifice you to Lord Jashin instead?'

'No thanks. I'm well aware of his work and I'd much rather stay away from it. And Deidara stop being so petty.' I crossed my arms over my chest and started to head to the kitchen, calling over my shoulder as I went in an attempt to distract them. 'I'm going to make some food if anyone's interested.'

Of course, they were all interested, and I found myself making four sets of oversized bacon sandwiches. Two were sitting impatiently around the crooked kitchen table. Itachi was still nursing his throbbing head and Deidara was moulding some clay and occasionally pausing to scowl up at Hidan, who was pacing annoyingly around the room.

'Hidan will you _sit_? You're making me uncomfortable!' I glared at him but only succeeded in making him stop to lean on the counter beside me, smirking. I tapped the surface awkwardly trying to avoid his stare, until I couldn't stand it anymore. 'Can I help you?!'

He laughed at me, but not in a nasty way. It almost sounded friendly. Almost.

He went back to his irritating pacing and I decided that was much better than the pressure of being watched. Finally, the bacon was ready and I flopped a few pieces hurriedly onto the first empty bun and thrust it into the Jashinist's hands. To my relief, he then proceeded to skulk into the living room to eat alone, without even a word of thanks. Not that I expected any…

I handed the others at the table their food and slouched into a seat beside the blonde. We ate in a strangely comfortable silence, and I couldn't help but notice how much calmer the two Akatsuki members seemed without Hidan's presence. Deidara finished first, mumbling a quiet, 'thanks' just low enough for me to hear.

'Just leave your plate in the sink, I'll wash it in a minute.'

He nodded and left without another word. Now the silence turned awkward. I flicked my gaze to the Uchiha opposite me, who had now finished eating and had tilted his head slightly to watch me. I felt a light blush filter through my cheeks as I swallowed my last bite furiously. I scraped my chair backwards and held my hand out to take his empty plate.

Needless to say I was very relieved to be able to turn my back on him and busy myself with washing the dishes. What did surprise me though, was the hand that appeared over my shoulder as I scrubbed the first plate.

'I'll dry.'

Unable to formulate an intelligent response through my surprise, I nodded. I handed him the plate and he moved to lean beside me, his head cocked to the side to watch me again. I frowned slightly, confused. _Why is he doing that? He knows I don't like being watched…_

He chuckled lightly and I snapped my eyes to meet his as I briefly noted that I hadn't heard him laugh since I'd gotten here. His inky gaze was warm and friendly, and I felt a pang of nostalgia as I searched his soft expression. He was the first to speak.

'Your hair's longer.'

I blinked. _Who are you and what've you done with Itachi?_

'So is yours.' I retorted calmly.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. 'Other than that you haven't really changed.'

'Woah, I seem to recall a certain arrogant Uchiha caught by his own Kekkei Genkai earlier…' I trailed off, unsure of how he would take my comment. If he was offended, he didn't show it.

'That wasn't you though, was it?'

I scowled and slammed the plate I had been cleaning back into the soapy water. 'That gash on your chest was though. Right, Uchiha?'

His lips tugged into a small smirk as he stacked the dry plates into a neat pile into their cupboard. 'Hm.'

His curt response only served to irritate me more, so I scrubbed furiously at the last plate and shoved it into the drainer, snatching the tea towel from him to dry my hands. Amusement flashed across his eyes as I marched past him childishly in the direction of my room.

Almost as soon as I had closed my door, someone had knocked on it. I rolled my eyes and groaned silently, swinging it back open with a little too much force. I was surprised to see Konan standing before me, with a small smile playing across her mouth.

'Oh. Konan?'

'I'm here to give you your cloak and ring,' She placed a cold metal circlet in my open palm and I lifted it to examine the symbol etched on the top. It held the kanji for 'sky', and it was a pale blue colour, which I approved of since it matched my hair and eyes nicely. 'You wear it on your left pinkie.' She waggled her own little finger as if to demonstrate, and I hid a quiet chuckle as I slipped it on. Next came the cloak. The purple-haired woman reached into her bag and pulled out a large black robe that matched her own, with a blood red cloud pattern on it.

I thanked her and she nodded promptly before wandering off down the corridor. I fingered the smooth material in my hands for a moment, before drooping it over the end of my bed and flopping myself down onto the mattress.

_Looks like I'm gonna be stuck here for a while…_ I frowned when I thought of the wolf clan. _They'll be wondering why I haven't summoned them recently… Then again I'm sure Akuma will tell them about my most recent fight…_

My mind wandered to my new housemates. I guess if I was going to be living with them I should probably get to know them a bit. Hidan was pretty easy. Short temper, aggressive nature, Jashinist…

Deidara and Sasori were both artists, from what I could gather, with two different views on art. All I had learned about Sasori so far was that he could create some pretty good sealing barriers. The blonde on the other hand gave a lot more away. He seemed to hold some sort of dislike towards the Uchiha, or maybe it was just Itachi? I figured Deidara was probably the one member I could say was the closest I had to a friend, but I was still wary of him. They _are_ S-rank criminals, after all…

Kakuzu liked money. That was pretty much all I had seen of him and I was hoping I could keep it that way. Then there was Zetsu, who seemed to have a strange split personality to match his appearance, but despite this, I think I could get along with him to some extent. His white half seemed quite pleasant.

I skipped over Pein in my analysis, choosing not to prolong any disturbing thoughts of the dangerous pierced man. With him, it felt very much like a game of Russian Roulette. Konan, I liked. She seemed quite genuine and I hoped I would see more of her, but as she always seemed to be close to the leader I thought that unlikely. I shuddered silently as I moved on.

The strange shark-like man I supposed could also become someone I could call a friend in time, although I was still pinning all my hopes to the fact that I wouldn't have to stay here long enough to make friends. I clung to my life-long conclusion that having friends would only cause more hurt and disappointment, as I had learned from past experiences. The only person I truly trusted was myself, and that is the way it should stay.

Finally, my thoughts landed on Itachi, much to my dismay.

He seemed so different at first, cold, uncaring and distant, rather than the arrogant but teasing boy I had once known. The boy that could have me laughing, scowling and crying all in the same minute. However today, that boy was all I had seen, and it discomforted me to be reminded so easily of how I had felt all those years ago… How he had felt…

I stood up abruptly to pace. I needed a distraction. I needed something to preoccupy my treacherous wandering mind before I started to form any unwanted and unnecessary attachments_. Living with the Akatsuki is just a minor set back that I will overcome and escape from. I'm a traveller, so if it means going on the run for the rest of my life, it will be no different than what I am already used to._

_Itachi Uchiha is a mere blip on my childhood radar, and that is exactly how he will stay._

* * *

**A/N: Yes, Itachi is a bit OOC in this chapter too, but as I keep saying, he's gonna have to be :)**

**I kinda like this Itachi anyway. I think he should have had someone to make him happy in the anime, it's not fair that he had to go through all that alone, being hated by the one person he was living to save :( IT'S NOT FAIR KISHIMOTO!**

**Anyway, rant over.**

**Okay, so like I said at the top, PLEASE review with any ideas and inspiration for me guys. I don't want to let you down!**

**See you soon! x**


	17. The Final Test

**A/N: Woo hoo! I have been inspired! All thanks to the wonderful reviewer iJoeyMonster.**

**Kudos to you!**

**Also thank you to everyone who is reading my story and who has taken the time to review :) My motivation would be non-existent if it wasn't for all of you!**

**I have a perfectly good excuse for updating a day late again, and my excuse lies within the NarutoSD series, episode 38. Please do watch it, I was crying laughing. I'm not sure if the link will work but here is a sneak peak - www. /watch?v=rVkrCcvQMao**

**(I put a space after the www. just in case)**

**Enjoy! x**

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, I was battered and brutally beaten as the Akatsuki's high and mighty leader sent various ruthless spar partners after me, with the simple orders to push to my absolute limits. As much as I would love to say I flattened them all into the ground, I can't. My skills may have improved but my stamina at this point was nowhere near it's best, and I was really getting sick of being the Akatsuki's punching bag.

I had never been one to scar easily, but after my most recent fight with Hidan, my arms were certainly beginning to remind me of some sort of tiger.

On the rare days I was given the privilege of choosing my own spar partner, naturally, I chose Itachi. Not just because I was used to his fighting style and knew that I could beat him if I really tried, but also because recently, I was pretty sure that he had been going easy on me.

Other than the odd comment after fighting, I hadn't had much chance to speak to the Uchiha, due to my incredibly over-intense training program. Deidara, on the other hand, I found myself growing quite fond of. The blonde's daily bickering with his red-haired, puppeteer partner never failed to amuse and distract me from whichever part of my body was causing me grief on that day. Deidara's method of fighting was brand new to me, and when I discovered the extent of his physical Kekkei Genkai, needless to say I was quite impressed.

As for my lupus named demon, he had practically become one of the Akatsuki himself since the unveiling of Akuma's great secret, and I would often joke that he spent more time around them than I did.

He had said, 'the only reason I stick around is to keep an eye on you. You don't think I'd trust a highly dangerous group of male S-rank criminals with you unsupervised, do you?'

I had laughed and told him that I wasn't actually the only girl, but he had typically ignored my comment and lost himself in an hour-long rant about how human males have a terrible hormonal reputation. I didn't bother interrupting him, and desperately fought back the urge to reply with a 'yes, Dad', for fear of encouraging him further.

I also kept quiet the fact that I knew had him figured out. He was clearly very curious about the criminal organization, meaning his real, private reason for hanging around was his interest in new and unique Kekkei Genkai. The wolves were a naturally proud clan and, since Akuma definitely topped the list in this quality, he would never admit to being impressed in someone else's abilities.

His fascination soon wore off though, now only visiting once or twice a week.

After a grand total of three weeks in the Akatsuki base, I was summoned to Pein's office to be given the verdict of my severe if not fruitful training. I trundled through the dimly lit corridor behind the only other female member who had been sent to collect me. She paused at the doorway to offer me a reassuring smile before knocking quietly on the door.

'Enter.'

I rolled my eyes at the predictable response, but did as instructed anyway. Pein was leaning casually against his desk, tapping his fingers against the wood irritatingly.

I bowed my head slightly and stood in front of him patiently. When he made no move to respond, I glanced at Konan questioningly, however she gave me no clue as to why we were standing in silence. After a few minutes of deliberation, I began to clear my throat to speak when a quick rap on the office door cut me off.

'Enter.' I resisted glaring at the orange-haired man for his repeated and somewhat rude acknowledgement of his group members. My eyes wandered to two figures emerging from the doorway, each moving to stand beside me.

'What're you guys doing here?' I raised an eyebrow at the blue-skinned man and his black-eyed partner.

Kisame grinned at me. 'Same thing as you I imagine.'

Pein's eyes suddenly flickered into life and he began to regard us carefully before speaking. 'The three of you are going on a mission. Akira, this is your final test to see if you are worthy of working at Akatsuki level. Since you and Itachi are already familiar with each other's style of fighting, and you have the ability to summon the Sharingan wolf, this will be your temporary team.'

I blinked slowly as I took in what our leader was saying. Of course, I was both relieved and excited to finally be getting out of this dark, depressing cave, but my stubborn teenage side wanted to argue over the fact that I was still being tested after everything he'd already put me through. I settled on a sigh and a sulky nod.

The Uchiha beside me raised his head slightly. 'May I see the mission brief, leader-sama?'

I smirked, still finding his formality and submission quite amusing, as the two men began to discuss various mission details that I wasn't remotely interested in. I regained awareness at the mention of my name and figured I should probably be paying attention to this. Knowing them, it was probably part of the test.

'–Akira will be the one doing most of the tracking, since she blends into the public best and will have the best chance at gaining information. Kisame and yourself may either follow discretely or arrange some sort of signal when Akira finds the trail.'

I briefly wondered who or what it was we were supposedly tracking, and my traitorous thoughts tried to creep back to the damp cavern that I had allowed Fū to be abandoned in. I grimaced and refocused as Kisame piped up.

'Do we have a deadline?'

'Not unless one of the other teams complete their task before you. In which case, you may be required to return early to complete the sealing process.'

_Sealing process?_ Silent alarm bells sounded in my head as I recalled Itachi's words on my first day in the Akatsuki base. _The extraction of the Bijuu begins in one hour. You should all be prepared._ Fū had not been mentioned since…

I gulped audibly, gaining a puzzled look from the purple-haired woman. Luckily, the others were far too absorbed in their conversation to notice, and I dropped my head down to hide awkwardly behind my fringe.

'Very well. Leave as soon as possible.' Pein dismissed us, and we quickly filed out of the office and split off to collect our ninja packs and cloaks.

Once back in my room, I tucked my pre-packed storage scroll in the bottom of the bag just in case, covering it with several shuriken and kunai. I also crammed in a spare change of clothes and a sleeping bag, since it sounded like we'd be away for a while.

When my backpack was satisfactorily stuffed full, I pulled on my over-sized cloak and hoisted the bag onto my shoulders, which was just as heavy as it looked. Tugging my hair out from beneath the straps, I skipped into the corridor and headed for the exit.

My 'team' were already waiting for me, and I joined them silently as Itachi turned to make the opening hand signs.

The stone walls around us trembled furiously and Kisame chuckled at my uneasy expression. 'It's not gonna collapse, you know. It's just the barrier.'

'I know that.' I snapped. 'I'm just… suspicious.'

He chuckled again but didn't reply.

We set off at a brisk pace in a similar formation to our first journey together, Itachi in the lead with Kisame beside me, rather than behind. I chatted with him light-heartedly about nothing in particular, and we were always equally surprised when the Uchiha occasionally offered a contribution to our conversations. It didn't take long before the night began to shroud us in darkness, and we began to search for somewhere to rest.

Eventually, after what seemed like most of the night, Kisame discovered an abandoned, knackered-looking wood cabin. It was set back in a small clearing, with a thin trickling stream running beside it and the remains of what looked like a cherry blossom tree.

'I bet this was beautiful once…' I mumbled, more to myself.

'Don't think anyone's been here for a long while.' Kisame pushed open the door with an eerie creak, and stepped into the shadows of the front room. I hesitated, rummaging in my backpack for a torch and cursing when I realised there wasn't one.

'Here.'

I looked up at the Uchiha as he scraped a match against the wooden frame and held it up before me. I took it gratefully and gave him a small smile. I hurried into the shelter to find a suitable fireplace, letting out a breath when the tiny flame lit up the dusty living room, complete with an old but useable pile of wood and the fireplace I had hoped for. Just as my light flickered out, Itachi tossed the logs into the hearth and struck another matchstick to ignite it.

I flopped to the floor in front of the welcomed source of heat and hugged my knees into my chest as Kisame emerged from the back room.

'Damn, this place is _ancient_!'

'It's bloody cold, that's what it is!' I shivered on cue and shuffled closer to the fire, wrapping my cloak further around my shoulders.

'Well I'm calling dibs on the bed. You guys will have to make do with the floor.' Kisame grinned and practically skipped back into the bedroom before either of us could even muster a glare.

When he had gone, I sighed loudly. 'Talk about ladies first…'

Itachi smirked and began to unroll his sleeping bag beside my position in front of the fire. I mirrored his action and snuggled deep into my covers, when a thought dawned on me. 'Erm, isn't someone going to keep watch?'

'I cast a Genjutsu on the cabin. So don't worry, no unexpected visitors.' The Uchiha watched me as I huddled into a sitting position and shimmied closer again to the fire, with my arms still wrapped around my now-covered knees. He was sat up in his sleeping bag too, his top half free from the cover and leaning back on his arms.

His head was tilted slightly as he watched me – an incredibly annoying habit he seemed to have adopted – and I frowned slightly as his lips tugged up in the corners.

'What?' I snapped, a little harsher than I intended.

A brief flicker of confusion crossed his features but his small smile remained. 'You're cold.'

'Don't change the subject! You've been doing that a lot recently…'

'Changing the subject?'

'You know what I mean!' I shot back. I was tired, cold and actually quite hungry, so I definitely wasn't in the mood for his childish trivialities. 'You keep… looking at me.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Right…'

I huffed and turned my head away sharply to stare into the bright amber flames. I had to suppress an irritated growl as I heard him chuckling softly under his breath, clearly very aware of what I was talking about.

'…I like watching you.'

My sapphire eyes flashed and snapped back to his, my mouth parting to form a small 'o' shape.

'You fascinate me.' He shrugged casually.

I pondered the statement for a moment, and my fingers found a loose tassel on my sleeping bag to fiddle with as I blushed lightly. 'In what way?'

This time he grinned and settled down on the floor, pulling his cover further up his chest. I didn't think he was going to reply until I heard him sigh softly and mumble, 'You're just weird.'

I considered retorting with an extremely clever and witty remark, but a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me and I felt my eye lids begin to droop. I managed to mutter a 'whatever,' before allowing the overpowering darkness to take over.

* * *

**A/N: Woo so they're off on their travels again. Considering Sasuke is about 13 at this point, any idea of what their mission is in relation to the anime? :D**

**Let me know your thoughts! See you in the next chapter! x**


	18. Pillow Talk

**A/N: This chapter is a little shorter, but it seemed like a good place to end it, since I started a new scene in the next chapter...**

**Yes, I'm back on with my pre-writing! I also planned out the whole story and typed a quick version up on my comp to refer to whenever I get stuck again!**

**N'aww I'm a good little author. :P**

**Hope you approve! Enjoy x**

* * *

_My hand moved to skim my fingers gently across the surface, creating a shimmering whirlpool of ripples. I gawped as my reflection began to change. Short, sapphire locks curled around a heart-shaped face, and her bright, emerald green eyes widened slightly as I watched. This woman was not me._

_'__Akira…'_

_I blinked furiously, and started to shake my head. 'No…'_

_'__Akira, you did this…'_

_My voice grows more desperate. 'No… I'm not you…'_

_'It's your fault… Your father's dead. And I…'_

_'__No!'_

_'__I'm dead, Akira. It's your fault. You weren't there for me… It's your fault.'_

_'__Akira.' Suddenly everything is dark and a male voice breaks through the atmosphere. A rich and velvety voice, which reminds me of morning coffee. 'Akira, you're crying…'_

_That voice… I know that voice… I stretch my arm out, searching for him._

_'__Akira, you need to wake up.'_

_My eyes flicker and a small orange light filters through my lids, causing me to squint. I groaned slightly as rolled onto my side, but something pulls me softly until I'm once again lying on my back._

'I said, are you okay? You're crying.'

It took me a minute to realise where I was, and as my vision began to focus I found myself staring up into a pair of deep black irises, which were hovering over my face.

'Itachi?' I mumbled, rubbing my still-tired eyes. Suddenly I was very aware of our situation and in a moment of panic, I bolted upright, smacking my forehead into the Uchiha's. He grunted and pushed me back down gently until I was leaning backwards on my elbows.

Rubbing my head tenderly, I peeked up at him from beneath my fringe. 'So what's the matter? Is it morning?' I scrunched up my nose as I directed my gaze to the dark windows. It was then that I heard the low snoring that was rumbling out of the bedroom and I realised Kisame must still be asleep.

'It's about 3am.' He stated calmly, waiting for my reaction. I scowled.

'So why are you waking me up at this time?'

He hesitated, a look of confusion crossing his face as he deliberated his next words carefully. 'You were crying.'

I blinked at him, and he blinked back. We sat in silence like that for a few long moments and I couldn't help but notice the painfully short distance between our faces, making my cheeks flush a deep crimson.

Finally I sighed. 'Sorry if I woke you up.'

One corner of his mouth tilted into a small crooked smile and I had to fight down the blush that was threatening to resurface. 'I wasn't really sleeping anyway.' He shrugged, before adding, 'you were talking too, you know.'

My breath hitched in my throat and his eyes glinted with amusement. 'R-really? W-what was I saying?'

He shuffled himself backwards so that he was sitting atop his sleeping bag, facing the fire and regarding me with one ebony iris. I visibly winced as his smile transformed into a knowing smirk that I recognised all too well. 'You were saying my name.'

_Kill me. Kill me now._ '…I was also crying.'

'You were, but you stopped crying when you said my name.'

'Maybe you just shocked me into silence.'

'Hmm, I suppose I do have that effect…'

'Shut up, Uchiha!' I growled, slightly too loud, and we both glanced awkwardly towards the back room. Luckily, the snoring continued, completely unaffected. I rolled my eyes as I felt a little pang of jealousy over the blue man's undisturbed slumber.

Huffing quietly, I flopped back down onto my sleeping bag, vaguely noticing that I had drenched the material in sweat during my nightmare.

'…So what were you dreaming of?'

I frowned and rolled over to watch as the flames danced in their stone cave. I hadn't had that dream since I 'joined' the Akatsuki. So why now?

Itachi was one of those people who, unless he wasn't interested, he wouldn't rest until he knew everything there was to know on any certain subject. So with this in mind, I settled on playing the sympathy card. 'My mother…'

Through the flickering light, his eyebrow raised and he pursed his lips. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying silently that he wouldn't question me any further. Unfortunately for me, he was feeling uncharacteristically talkative.

'Is that why you were crying?'

'I guess so.'

'And your father?'

'What about him?'

'Was he in the dream?'

'Yes, briefly. Why does that matter?' _Psychic bastard…_

'I'm just curious.'

'Because I _fascinate_ you?' I didn't hold back on my sarcastic tone and my irritated scowl, which I know he saw, because his smirk grew wider.

'Maybe.'

'…'

We fell back into silence and I seethed into my cover, wrapping it over my head to shield my eyes from the light. Then a thought struck me.

'Itachi?' I peeked my head back out from the sleeping bag and met his questioning gaze.

'Hmm?'

'…Why weren't you sleeping?'

My question seemed to catch him off-guard and he fumbled strangely with his fingers. 'I was… Erm…'

I stared at him as he faltered. Now _I_ was the one to be fascinated. I had never seen him mutter so aimlessly before and a part of me wanted to call off the hounds and ease his struggle, but I stood my ground and waited.

'Well, I woke up earlier and then I couldn't get back to sleep, and then you started talking, so then I was listening to you…' He babbled, suddenly finding the zip on his sleeping bag very interesting.

An incredulous look flashed across my expression. '…Were you watching me sleep?!'

'No. Well, I was eventually, but it was hard not too since you were sleep talking and then you started crying so–'

I cut him off as I tried to contain my laughing fit that erupted from my throat.

'What's so funny?' He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest childishly.

I wiped a small tear from my eye as my giggling subsided and I shook my head to regain some sort of idiotic composure. 'I've just never seen you flustered before!'

'I _am_ human…' He seemed slightly offended by my comment and his voice returned to the usual monotone I had been hearing so often since our reunion.

I flashed him a grin and tilted my head for added effect. 'I'm sorry. It's just, I like this you. It reminds me of back in Konaha…'

Perhaps this had been the wrong thing to say, because his expression was suddenly very solemn and his eyes grew a darker shade of black, as though every wall I had been working to break had just shot straight back up. My grin faded as he turned away to stare out of the window.

Guilt whipped through me as I began to worry my lip, unravelling my sleeping bag to free my legs. I scrambled across the dust-coated wooden floor to sit beside him, the overwhelming urge to comfort him taking over my body. My hand moved of it's own accord to rest lightly over his, but I flinched as he pulled it away sharply. I cast my eyes down, wondering what I had done wrong, when he spoke softly.

'You should try to get back to sleep. It's almost morning.' He didn't even turn around to face me.

My brow creased as hurt seeped into my eyes, but I crawled backwards anyway and shrunk beneath my cover. I heard him sigh quietly, but when he made no further noise, I resigned myself to another uncomfortable slumber.

xXx

'Damn, I slept like a log last night!' Kisame stretched and yawned loudly, before crunching into a half-burnt piece of toast. Itachi had disappeared by the time I woke up, leaving me to be awoken by the smell of burning bread and Kisame shaking me awake. I groaned as my eyes tried to rebel against the glimmering sun as it's rays bounced off the stream and into my face.

'I'm glad one of us did…' I muttered irritably, sinking my teeth into a unadorned crumpet.

I watched with mild interest as the blue man spread out a map on the short yellow grass outside the cabin. 'So, we're about here, I reckon. We gotta get to here before nightfall and check into a hotel. Then tonight, _you_,' he flicked his index finger into my face and I glowered as it invaded my personal bubble to poke my nose. 'Are gonna set out in search of information. Right? Off we go then!'

'Wait, erm. Shouldn't we wait for Itachi?' My eyes scanned the surrounding area but Kisame chuckled and brushed it off.

'Don't worry, he's around. Itachi knows the plan if we get separated anyway. Come on!'

I shoved the remainder of my crumpet into my mouth and ran to catch up to his fast retreating figure.

We didn't see the Uchiha for the entire journey, which, in a way I supposed was a good thing. My present company wasn't terrible; in fact, I found I could actually get on with Kisame when he wasn't fixated on destroying various Jinchuuriki. As we walked, he explained about the mission at hand.

'Since you weren't paying attention in Pein's office, I guess I should let you in on it.'

I scowled but let him continue. To be fair, he _was_ right.

'So, you're looking for the nine-tails Jinchuuriki, who goes by the name of Naruto Uzumaki.' The name rang a bell in the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite put a face to it. 'Word on the street is that he's out on a mission with his sensei, which is going to be the tricky part, since his sensei happens to be one of the three legendary Sanin.' Now them, I had heard of. They were supposed to possess incredible skills and chakra, and were practically unbeatable. I gulped at the thought of having to go head to head against even one of them.

Before I could voice my concern, Kisame spoke again. 'But don't worry, you're job is simple. All _you_ gotta do is blend in with the townsfolk and gather as much information on the kid as you can. Then report it back to us.'

'Kid? How old is he?' I wasn't sure I liked the sound of this.

'I dunno. I guess about 12 or 13?'

My eyes widened slightly but I held my tongue. Kisame wasn't stupid, and I had no doubt in my mind that he would quite happily silence me if he thought I was going to jeopardise the mission.

* * *

**A/N: Oop fluffy times! And then back to normal Itachi. Silly boy!**

**I have also discovered a new anime released last month 'The World is Still Beautiful' that I thought was pretty amazing. You guys should check it out if you like fluff. It's also very weird... But then again what anime isn't. :D**

**Ah well, until next time folks! x**


	19. Ayame's Diner

**A/N: Here is another chapter for you lovely readers out there.**

**In this chapter the hotels mentioned are The Nebosuke Inn (The sleepyhead Inn, not very creative I know, sorry!) and the Shiawasena Hotel (The Happy Hotel... Don't even ask).**

**Anyway, enjoy! x**

* * *

We arrived much sooner than I hoped, and after a prolonged amount of bickering about hotel price and quality, Kisame and I set about trying to find a decent-looking, moderately priced hotel.

He checked us into a neat, cottage-like inn, which was actually much bigger inside than it appeared. We found the room easily enough, and as the blue-skinned ninja moved to hang his cloak over the dressing table chair, I leaned against the windowsill impatiently.

'So what now?' I tapped my foot against the floor, suddenly feeling very restless.

'Well it's half 5, so I guess we could go grab some food and then you're good to go.'

My stomach rumbled, irritatingly loudly, and I rolled my eyes and agreed.

Kisame grinned and replied swiftly. 'Right. I'll go down first, then you follow in about 10 minutes. It's best if we aren't seen together since you'll be the one tracking the Jinchuuriki.'

I placed my hand on my hip and shifted my weight to one leg. 'What's the point of checking into one room then? In the _same_ hotel?'

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. 'I-I didn't think of that.'

Before I could throw him my sarcastic response, the door to our room creaked open and I whirled around to greet a set of red swirling eyes.

'Itachi,' I breathed, both relieved and annoyed to see that it was him. 'Don't sneak up on us like that! Where the hell have you been all day anyway?'

'I set off earlier than you. Kisame, I've booked two rooms in a hotel around the corner from here.' He tossed a small key fob to his partner and turned to me. 'You'll stay here and set out as soon as you've eaten.'

I scoffed. 'Will I now?'

His eyes – now their usual onyx colour – flashed dangerously and I huffed as I stomped past him and out of the room. I headed straight for the dining area, since my demanding stomach apparently couldn't wait a second longer.

xXx

As soon as my stomach was satisfactorily stuffed full, I wandered out through the reception and into the village, smiling slightly at the buildings as they glowed in the golden, setting sunlight.

I was in an unexpectedly good mood, and practically skipped through the streets in the red and yellow flowery dress I had thought to change into. It flowed down to just below my knees, where it held a neat, lacy trim around the bottom. With it, I had matched a pale yellow, cropped cardigan, which fit snugly around my shoulders. This country was supposedly experiencing its sunny season, so I had selected the girliest, 'innocent civilian' attire from my clothes in my attempt of blending in.

As the evening set in, I discovered a discoloured, worn-looking building with a hefty stream of people coursing in and out. Figuring this would be a good place to begin my investigation, I headed eagerly for the entrance, briefly catching the name, 'Ayame's diner' above the door on a swinging piece of driftwood.

The busy atmosphere was stifling, and I strained to hear the short, slender waitress, that had arrived to serve me, over the deafening buzz of the other diners. I ordered a cocktail entitled 'The Hollywood,' a mixture of Southern Comfort and various exotic fruit juices. The petit woman returned promptly, offering me a friendly smile before whizzing off to a different table.

I glanced around the surrounding area until my vision zeroed in on a tall, middle-aged man leaning beside the bar. His white hair was long and shaggy, spiking out all down his back and reminding me remarkably of a hedgehog. He caught my gaze and I threw him an awkward half smile before dipping my head to take a sip of my drink.

It was a surprisingly sweet concoction, and I had to restrain myself from glugging the whole glass in one there and then. I licked my lips, savouring the taste and glanced back up slyly from beneath the shadow of my fringe. The older man had vanished thankfully. I let out a small breath of relief and went back to admiring the flavour of my drink.

'Well hello!' I jumped as someone plonked themselves in the seat opposite and waved a hand at a passing waitress. 'I'll have another Mojito, thanks. So, what's a pretty young lady like you doing in a place like this, and all alone too?'

I stared for a moment, feeling my embarrassment flood into my cheeks and tingeing them with red, when I realised it was the same man from the bar. 'Erm, I'm a traveller. Just passing through the village and figured I'd head out for the evening.' I gave him a convincing lie that wasn't entirely false, and smiled shyly.

'I see. Well, you came to the right place. I'm actually travelling myself in search of an old friend.' A strange fondness flashed across his expression before returning to his flirtatious grin.

'You've been here before?'

'Only once or twice. But I hear it's the best place in town.' He winked and I had to sip my drink to distract myself from rolling my eyes.

The same waitress that had served me earlier appeared hurriedly with his order, and I couldn't help but notice the way he inconspicuously watched her backside as she walked away. Spinning the straw around the glass, my gaze flickered around the room, pondering whether or not he was alone too. He seemed to be.

He read my mind and spoke cheerily. 'Unlike you, I have a companion travelling with me, but I left him back at the hotel. He's too young to come to this sort of place.'

I raised my eyebrow, wondering what he meant by 'this sort of place', but shrugged and continued to stir my fast-disappearing cocktail. 'You said you're looking for someone. Might I be able to help you?' I asked politely, changing the subject.

'Well, she's a blonde woman, honey-coloured eyes, looks about the age of 30…' He trailed off noticing my uselessly blank expression and chuckled. 'Perhaps not.'

I grinned. 'Sorry. I'm Akira.' I held my hand out across the table, which he took immediately, shaking it enthusiastically.

'Jiraiya.'

Something clicked in my brain and I suppressed a gasp at my brilliant yet unintended genius. _This is the guy who is travelling with the Jinchuuriki!_ I threw him a more sincere grin at my discovery and finished the rest of my drink quickly.

'So, where are you staying, Jiraiya?' I pushed my finger lightly around the rim of my glass in an awful attempt of flirting. However, he seemed to buy it quite quickly.

'Just a few blocks from here. The Nebosuke Inn.'

'Oh I don't know it; I'm staying in the Shiawasena Hotel. How long are you in town for?' Part of me wanted to name a fake hotel, but I begrudgingly realised that I had no idea what other hotels were named around here.

'As long as it takes to find my friend, I guess. Can I get you another?' He gestured to my empty glass.

'Actually I should probably be getting back, I have a lot to sort out tomorrow.' I tilted my head slightly and smiled again. 'It's been nice to have some company.'

His eyes crinkled as he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. 'Well maybe I'll see you around then.'

'Maybe you will. Bye, Jiraiya.' I left quickly before he could respond and headed back to the hotel. I was pretty impressed with my people skills back there, but I still felt a small pang of guilt as I strolled through the still busy streets. I also thought to check the actual location of Jiraiya's hotel, so I could give my team more precise information.

As soon as I entered my room and flopped onto my bed, sighing miserably and closing my eyes. I tried to concentrate on the mission at hand, but the thought of Jiraiya's 'young' companion of no more than 12 or 13 years refused to leave my mind. Throwing my arm over my eyes, I cursed my annoyingly inconvenient feelings of humanity.

I heard my window slide open and light footsteps making their way to beside my bed, as Itachi's chakra spiked on my radar. Groaning, I hoisted myself up to lean backwards on the headrest, and glared at the Uchiha, who had positioned himself to sit sideways on the end of my bed.

'Well?' He prompted, when I made no further move.

'They're staying in the Nebosuke Inn, about 6 blocks east. The Jinchuuriki is currently alone as Jiraiya is at Ayame's Diner, which is two blocks north from here.' I smirked at his raised eyebrows as I continued to spurt information like a book. 'Oh, and if you want to distract him, try a pretty lady.'

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and swung my legs off the edge of the bed. I rummaged around in my backpack for some more comfortable clothes, flicking an irritated glance at the onyx eyes that had settled upon watching me, yet again.

'What now, Uchiha?'

Amusement flashed across his expression as he stood up to leave.

I hesitated as he made for the window, but just as his foot reached the windowsill, I spoke again in a small voice. 'Itachi?'

He paused and tilted his head to regard me.

'Erm…' I fiddled with my fingers, unable to meet his gaze. 'About the Jinchuuriki… Erm…'

He placed his foot slowly back on the ground and turned to face me fully, confusion and possibly concern etched in his features.

Finally, I built up the courage to voice a question that deep down, I already knew the answer to. 'W-what happens… to them?'

He frowned slightly, and for a minute I didn't think he was going to reply, until he sighed and answered softly. 'I think you know what happens, Akira.'

I swallowed sadly and bravely raised my head to meet his gaze, a determined look on my face. 'I want you to say it. What happens to them. What happened to Fū, and what's inevitably going to happen to that innocent kid with Jiraiya. Say it!'

'…They die.'

xXx

I don't really know what finally made me change my mind, or what made me realise that Itachi really didn't care about anyone anymore. More specifically, I realised that he didn't care about me anymore. Whether it was the horrific reality that I was willingly aiding an S-rank criminal organisation in their master plans to capture, kill and do whatever the hell they're doing with innocent Jinchuuriki, or whether it was my talk with Jiraiya and finding that regrettably, he was actually quite a normal person. I don't know. But whatever it was, my mind was made up. I couldn't allow that child to be captured, and I was going to do everything that I could to prevent it.

I tightened the headband that I had pulled my scruffy, teal hair back with, and leapt rather ungracefully out the window, landing with a 'thud' and an 'oof' as I grossly misjudged the distance. Visibly shaking my head at my un-lady-like manner, I half-jogged to the east of the village in search of the hotel I had previously sought out.

I reached the inn in no time and slunk undetected into the back gardens. Closing my eyes, I hurriedly pushed my chakra away from my body and into every nook and cranny of the hotel, trying to locate the Jinchuuriki. My senses flared as Kisame's signature reached mine and, panicking, my eyes flashed open and I darted forward, forcing chakra to my feet. I sprang up against the wall and charged like a woman possessed into the nearest open window.

The room I had invaded was on the third floor, one above Kisame and from what could sense now, two above Itachi. _They must be searching floor by floor each…_ I tutted as I realised that sensing the Jinchuuriki's chakra would be impossible for me if even the Akatsuki couldn't feel it. _Maybe he isn't here anymore?_ I hoped silently.

It was then that I realised I had jumped into someone's bedroom as they slept, as the sound of light snoring reached my ears. I froze, my silhouette illuminated in the window frame by the accusing moonlight. I edged towards the door and, once in the safety of the corridor, ran for my life up several flights of stairs.

_I have no idea what room he's even in… My only hope now is to concentrate on my team's chakra and rush in when I think they've found him._ I scowled at my hopeless plan, but for now it was all I had.

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**A/N: Yes, Akira has personality issues. She fights with herself a lot since she is actually very compassionate but she tries very hard to avoid making bonds with people since she thinks she'll only get hurt.**

**Which, to be fair, in this story it's pretty much true.**

**And yes, she is attempting to go A.W.O.L, but as we've seen before she's not exactly the best at thinking ahead, so we'll see how far she gets.**

**Please do review, I always look forward to hearing your views even if it's just a small or bad comment! **

**Well, see you soon! ****:D x**


	20. The Uchiha Brothers

**A/N: Heyyyy! Sorry this wasn't released earlier today, and it's technically past midnight so I suppose it's a day late. UPS.**

**I've changed the future plot a few times but I'm fairly happy again now.**

**I'm just being a fuss pot.**

**Enjoy :D x**

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'Hey lady, whacha doing out in the corridor at this time?' A short, bright yellow head appeared in my view line and I had to hold back my yelp of surprise. His striking orange suit practically blinded me alongside his hair.

'O-oh, I was erm… Room checks… But I-I was, erm…' I mentally slapped myself and gave him a pathetic goofy smile. 'I guess I'm lost. I was looking for someone, maybe you could help me?' _Smooth, Akira. Real smooth._

The boy grinned at me and thrust a thumb into my face. 'No problem! Names Naruto Uzumaki! So what do they look like?'

I faltered. _How could I be so stupid?! I don't even know what this kid looks like…_ 'Well, I know he's about 12 or 13, and I know he's travelling with an older gentleman, with white crazy hair that's all spiky and long–' I was so distracted with trying to mimic Jiraiya's hair by holding out my own in different directions, that I failed to notice his suspicious stare until he cut me off.

'Why are you looking for him?'

_Does he know something?_ I wasn't sure what his reasons for asking were, but the Akatsuki members had already moved up a few floors each, and Kisame was almost by the final staircase, so I answered him honestly, my voice barely a whisper. 'He's in big trouble and I gotta find him before my team does. Please, kid, if you know anything please tell me.'

'If they're part of your team, then how do I know you're not after me too?'

I blinked as he realised his mistake, and he jumped backwards slightly, forming a defensive position. 'You're him?!' I stared incredulous, almost forgetting the danger that was fast gaining on us.

'What do you want?' He growled, a little too loudly.

I shushed him urgently, shoving him into the room he had appeared from and slamming my ear to the door to listen. 'Look, Naruto, was it?' He nodded. 'If you can't trust me, just please _try_ to believe me! I'm your only chance, you have to leave, now!'

'No way, lady. I'm gonna be Hokage some day and there's no way I'm gonna die before–'

I slapped a hand over his mouth as heavy footsteps paused outside the door. Naruto must have heard them too, since he allowed me to silence him.

The footsteps hesitated, a thin shadow forming across the floor through the crack beneath the door, as it blocked the light from the hall. When it finally moved again, it was back in the direction it had already been.

I turned to giving Naruto a pleading look. 'They're onto you, and possibly onto me too. We have to get out of here. We'll take the window and make a run for the–'

'I'm not leaving without the Pervy Sage!' He folded his arms across his chest defiantly and I shook my head irritably.

'Fine, we'll pick him up on the way but we have to–'

The door flew open, cutting me off and hitting the wall so hard that I'm surprised it didn't collapse. My heart skipped a beat as my vision landed on a very smug-looking Kisame with Itachi standing right behind.

I heard the yellow haired boy gasp and tense behind me. 'These guys…'

'Why don't we take a walk?' Itachi's cold voice slithered past me ears to Naruto, who gulped loudly.

When I felt him brush past my shoulder, I half growled and grabbed his arm to halt him. 'What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?' I hissed at the boy, but judging from the frozen trance he appeared to be in, I doubt he even heard me.

Kisame sneered at my sudden movement. 'So, you just couldn't hack it, huh? Leader-sama will be very disappointed in you…'

I scoffed. 'Yeah, well he can go to hell.'

'Hmm. It'd be a real pain if this kid made a run for it… How about I chop off a leg or two?' His hand lifted to curl around the handle of his great sword, but I stood my ground beside Naruto. Itachi made no further move, granting Kisame permission for the unnecessary violence, and I scowled at the blue man as he began to inch forward, his grip tightening around the handle.

_I have to get us out of here_. Furiously, I gathered chakra to my hands and wove my fingers in the wind style sign that I was most familiar with. 'Wind style: Wind Chakra Claw!'

Kisame faltered slightly, surprised at my bold move, but my attack was not meant for him. It collided angrily with the wall beside them, and before the Akatsuki could even blink, I raced for the newly formed hole and tore off down the hall, a stunned, orange blur of Jinchuuriki being dragged harshly behind me.

I skidded around a corner and took off again, only to be abruptly thrown backwards by a short blue figure, which smashed into my chest.

'Hey watch where you're going, lady… Naruto, you're here!'

In the midst of the kafuffle, I was vaguely aware that we had not been followed as of yet. Whoever this kid was, he needed to move, and fast.

'We don't have time for a reunion, guys! We gotta keep…' I trailed off as I stared at the angry black-eyed boy before me. His scruffy, raven bangs fell loosely around his face, and the back stuck out uncontrollably in several directions. Nostalgia welled up inside me as I registered his identity. 'Sasuke…'

'Huh?' He stared up at me curiously, but before he could answer, another, velvety voice floated dangerously down the corridor.

'It's been a long time… Sasuke.'

'Itachi. Uchiha.'

The true reality of our situation suddenly hit home, and I shrunk back against the wall before my legs gave way with the tension, releasing Naruto's arm as I did so.

The Akatsuki members were standing several meters from us, a crazed-looking grin on the blue mans face. 'Well. The Sharingan. And he looks an awful lot like you…' He tilted his head slightly to question his partner. 'Itachi, who is this kid?'

'He's my younger brother.' Itachi barely batted an eyelash as he spoke. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath as my mind whirled trying to think of a plan of how to escape, preferably alive.

'…That's strange, cause the way I heard it the whole Uchiha clan was wiped out, by you.'

Sasuke cut in, his face contorting into a infuriated glare. 'Itachi Uchiha, I hope you're ready to die!' He crouched down and placed one hand over his arm, sending a frighteningly powerful amount of chakra into his free hand. Several blue lightening sparks began to gather around his palm, flicking out and dancing across his skin. 'It's just as you said, brother. I've fostered my hatred for you all this time. I've lived my life for one single purpose. To see you _die_!'

Now it was time for my breath to hitch in my throat. Sasuke had been such a sweet, adoring little kid, but now his heart was twisted with hate and fury, all because of Itachi. _How could he…_

Itachi seemed to recognise his jutsu, as he narrowed his eyes and observed, 'Chidori.'

'It ends now!' The smaller Uchiha's voice echoed and bounced off the walls, his face illuminated in the flashing blue light of the Chidori.

'Sasuke!' Naruto's stunned cry from beside me reminded me of my position in this. I was here to save the Jinchuuriki, not get caught up in old family affairs!

I made a grab for Sasuke's arm but I was too slow. He growled and slammed his lightening filled fist into the wall beside him, charging forward before I could stop him. Itachi's eyes flashed as he neared, and I saw a flicker of movement, mere seconds before his brother reached him, followed by a deafening explosion. The floor shook violently and the building rumbled as if in pain as a large cloud of smoke erupted from their location.

When the air cleared, I was both amazed and bewildered at how easily Itachi had swept Sasuke's jutsu aside, now clenching the youngster's arm in one hand ruthlessly. Chakra flared from behind me and the orange boy flew past me.

'Naruto, don't!' I cried helplessly tearing after him.

Kisame appeared in front of the Jinchuuriki, and with one slash of his magnificent sword, his chakra was dispelled. I leapt in front of him and crossed my arms over my chest in a weak defensive stance, glaring at the shark-like man with everything I had.

'ARGH!' Sasuke's scream, as his wrist bone was snapped clean in two, caught me off guard. Itachi's foot met his brother's stomach, sending him hurtling backwards and spluttering when his back hit the wall. Before any of us could blink, the older Uchiha was beside him, whispering something incoherent into his ear and activating his blazing red eyes.

Squeezing my eyes shut helplessly, I desperately fought back the urge to cry at the horror unfolding before me, but as the little Uchiha cried out again painfully, I raced towards him and drew out a kunai. Kisame leapt to prevent me from reaching the brothers, but my feet moved skilfully on their own, dodging and darting out of his way.

Suddenly, there was a light 'poof' sound from behind Naruto, and we all wheeled around to face the one and only 'Pervy Sage'.

'You two don't know me at all, do you? Thinking I'd be distracted so easily…' His eyes flickered from Itachi and Kisame, completely missing me out. I hung my head shamefully, hoping that I really was invisible. The thought gave me an idea, and I glanced up to the two Akatsuki members to check that they were still distracted. They were.

With one final charge, I landed beside the Uchiha brothers and lashed my kunai out, flinching as the metal clanged with Itachi's own blade. To my relief, he slowly edged away to stand back to back with the blue man, his eyes never leaving mine.

'Well, well. Isn't this a twist in the plot.' Jiraiya cocked his head to the side to regard me, probably deciding on whether or not I could be trusted. It was only now that I realised the older male had some poor, unfortunate woman slung over his shoulder, completely unconscious. I assumed this was his 'distraction'.

He knelt down to prop her gently against the wall, as Naruto began to complain about his weakness for pretty girls. They bickered childishly, as though in an entirely different, relaxed scenario, and I tensed as I watched Kisame begin to get restless and pissed off. I had learned during my training sessions back at the Akatsuki base, how much he hated to be ignored in the middle of a battle scene.

'I must say Jiraiya; you are somewhat of a disappointment. It's hard to believe that you are one of the Legendary Sanin…' He rolled his small white eyes and slammed his giant sword into the ground, clearly eager to get back to the action.

The Sanin laughed humourlessly. 'Don't let whatever this idiot says fool you. Besides, I know that he's the one you're really after. Actually, this is rather convenient, since now I can eliminate you both at the same time.'

From behind me, Sasuke stirred, his head falling forward between my shoulders. 'S-stay out of this…' He stuttered, and I caught his arm as he stumbled. When I did, he shrugged me away roughly, turning his crimson glare on me. 'And _you…_ I remember you now. You're that _traveller_, the one who stayed in Konaha when I was 7… _Befriending_ the Uchiha and _pretending_ to be so… so nice! You TRAITOR!' He spat the word and I shrunk away from his rage, hurt flashing through my eyes. Of course, what did I expect? He barely even recognised me, so there was no way he was going to trust me, let alone believe me if I bothered to explain.

'That's enough! Summoning Jutsu!' My gaze snapped up just in time to watch as the floor and walls suddenly began to change. A strange, pink sludge quickly consumed the white corridor walls, and the wooden floorboards soon followed. I gasped as he spoke again. 'Ninja art: Toad Mouth Trap.'

_Shit…_ The title was self-explanatory enough for me to understand that I was pretty much screwed.

'You've all just been swallowed by the Mountain toad. Welcome, my friends, to the belly of the beast!' Jiraiya's eyes crinkled as he smirked at Kisame, who was struggling aimlessly to release his feet from being digested. 'Not the most glorious way to die, is it?'

A look of panic crossed Naruto's face but his sensei called for him to remain calm and trust in his Jutsu.

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at his partner. 'Kisame, come.'

The shark man finally ripped his feet free from the toad's ensnaring flesh, and sprang forward after the Uchiha.

Itachi ran past me without a second glance, but Kisame's steps halted. 'Wait, what about–'

'Leave her. She's of no use to us.'

A sudden stabbing pain ripped through my chest at his words, and against my better judgement, I spun around to stare after them hopelessly as they took off.

'It's useless! No ninja has been born that can escape this stomach.' The Toad Sage shouted to the fast retreating figures, but his words fell on deaf ears as we all watched in shock. Itachi released his 'Amaterasu', which I myself had only ever seen once before. Thick, black flames shot around the wall of flesh, and a great moan echoed around the halls as they broke through the Toad's throat.

I was vaguely aware of Jiraiya and Naruto running past me to examine their exit, but I was too stunned to listen or even care about what they were saying. '_Leave her. She's of no use to us.'_ I began quivering silently as I curled my arms around my stomach, doubling over to crouch on the still-pink floor.

_No use to us… No use to him. So that really is it then. Whatever it was that we had… Whatever he may have felt… It's gone._

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**A/N: She isn't having the best week really, is she?**

**It's probably not gonna get much better any time soon either. PAH, where's the fun in her having an easy life? ;D**

**Hope you liked this chapter, I tried to keep to the original scene, but I had to change quite a few details and obviously I had to add Akira in too.**

**Let me know your thoughts! See you in chapter 21! x**


	21. Interrogations

**A/N: I'm really sorry guys.. Words can't even express how sorry I am.**

**This chapter is like, 5 days late and I know, I'm a terrible person. I've been mad busy getting ready for my holiday next week, so I forced myself the second I got some free time to write this chapter!**

**Although nothing major happens in it, its kinda important cause it has more character building and it takes us to the next stage in the story.**

**Everybody loves fillers! ... Not.**

**Please try to enjoy!**

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I can honestly say that anyone who previously thought that Konaha held the more decent and compassionate of the ninja interrogators, you are very, very wrong.

Naturally, Jiraiya had informed me that, since I had been associated in the attempt of capturing the Jinchuuriki and also that I was involved with the Akatsuki, he would have to bring me back to the village for questioning. Then of course, being the irritatingly naïve and trusting person I am, and as a way of keeping the peace, I had agreed. He had seemed surprisingly sympathetic and almost apologetic, and I hadn't been able to decide whether he just fancied me, or if he genuinely believed my 'caught and had no choice' story. I like to think it was the latter.

That was six days ago, although it felt more like six years ago. My mind was fuzzy and sore from the various ninja techniques used to allow countless interrogators to wander through my thoughts, and my body ached in places I didn't even know existed. Unfortunately, my Kekkei Genkai – through no fault of my own – stubbornly refused to let any information slip, locking away all of my memories from prying eyes. One of the interrogating ninja had described it as if they'd just had a door slammed and bolted shut in their face.

But despite everything, I still think I made the right decision in allowing Jiraiya to bring me here. For one thing, it was unlikely that the Akatsuki's sly, sadistic leader would let me walk away merrily, to live the rest of my jolly days in happy town without a fuss. And for another, I felt I owed them this at least. After all, I did help them find Naruto, and it was my fault that Fū was caught, not to mention that I didn't even try to save her. Guess this was my punishment.

The sound of metal clanging and locks unbolting brought me back to the present. I was slumped in a corner of the interrogation room, my arms wrapped idly around my knees and my head leaning back against the wall. The room was plain, with a simple table and chairs decorating the centre and a mirror that covered the entire back wall. But the best part was that the floor was wooden, a welcome change from cold, hard stone.

'All right, prisoner. My turn.'

I looked up slowly and my sapphire gaze landed on a familiar sympathetic expression. I gave the Sanin a disinterested half-smile as he helped me to my feet and pulled out a chair for me. I was vaguely aware that he had provided me with a small (plastic) cup of water, which was more than what the others had done already. He took a seat opposite me, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together beneath his chin as he regarded me cautiously.

'How are you feeling?' His question was unexpected, and I blinked at him stupidly before finding my voice.

'Probably as bad as I look.' I managed a joke but he grimaced slightly and sighed.

'You know, you could have just told them the truth. Locking your memories doesn't exactly grant instant belief in you…'

'I wasn't locking away them on purpose. It's a natural part of my Kekkei Genkai. See, I use Genjutsu through portraying memories to initiate and control it. I can erase and grant memories too.'

He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

I frowned. 'What?'

'That was surprisingly honest.'

Shrugging, I sipped the water and gave him a simple reply. 'I have nothing to hide.'

This time both his eyebrows raised. 'Then why are you still here?'

'Well, no one has actually asked me anything yet…' I had to admit; I found my situation quite hilarious, if not ironic. It was true though. They had dived head first into my brain without even uttering a single 'what's your name,' apparently expecting me to be completely uncooperative.

Jiraiya broke out into a fit of throaty laughter and I finished my cup of water in the time it took for him to calm down. Someone rapped on the door asking if everything was alright, and he cleared his throat to reassure them.

'So, let me get this straight. You've been sat here for four days since we arrived, not saying a word because _no one asked you_?'

I huffed and crossed my arms in confirmation, and he roared with laughter again.

'It's not funny!' I pouted childishly. 'I'm not just going to spurt out vital information if no one asks for it! It's common curtsey. Besides whenever I tried to tell them they were wasting their time, they wouldn't have it and just hissed and snapped at me to shut up.'

Still grinning like a fool, he lifted a leg to lie it sideways across his other casually. 'Okay then. So I'm asking, what were you doing with the Akatsuki?'

'I bumped into them in the hidden Waterfall village a few months ago.' I scrunched up my eyebrows as I tried to recall just how long it had actually been. 'Anyway, long story short, I accidentally led them to a Jinchuuriki there and they roped me in.'

'I see. So it's true then, they are after the Jinchuuriki. How many do they have now?'

'I'm not sure. I only know about Fū and Naruto. They said something about an extraction?'

His eyes flashed but he changed the subject. 'Do you know the position of their base?'

'Hmm. I wasn't familiar with the area…' Something inside me suddenly wanted to protect their hidden location. Or maybe it was to protect certain members from harm if the Leaf launched a surprise attack. I _had_ been quite friendly with Deidara, and Kisame wasn't all bad… I shook my head before I could think about one member I definitely didn't want to care about. 'It was always dark whenever I got to see the area.'

He stroked his chin thoughtfully but moved on again. 'How many members were there?'

And so it went on. When he was finished, he left with the promise that the village leaders would be informed of my cooperation immediately, and that he would send someone as soon as he could to free me. I didn't hold him to it.

Several hours passed before I was finally aware of a stranger's chakra signatures approaching from beyond the metal door. It swung open a little too hastily, and in it's place stood an old, withered looking man. He stared at me for a moment, one eye and ear covered by several messy bandages, before inclining his head slightly and beckoning for me to follow him. I got to my feet cautiously and moved to hover in the doorway as he shuffled away down the corridor.

'This way.' He called to me, and I hurried to catch him up. Walking silently behind his figure, I kept my head bowed respectfully as we rounded several corners before arriving at what looked like an office. A slight quiver of Déjà vu shook through my body, and I had to resist rolling my eyes when I thought back to the orange haired Akatsuki leader.

When we entered, he took a seat behind the desk and gestured for me to move closer. I complied as I examined the man. My eyes landed on a deep, criss-cross shaped scar on his chin, and I had to restrain myself from frowning. There was something vaguely familiar about his appearance, as though I had seen him before somehow. Perhaps last time I came to Konaha?

A knock on the door and a voice from outside made me jump at the broken silence. 'Lord Danzo, Hatake Kakashi has arrived.'

'Thank you, send him in.'

_Well, that's a better response than 'enter'_, I sneered to myself. A tall, grey haired male with a dark mask covering the majority of his face came to stand beside me, bowing lightly as he stopped. I found it slightly odd at their similarity in appearance. Apart from the obvious age difference and hair colour, they each covered most of their face, leaving only one eye on show, which both matched in colour. Maybe this was the Leaf's fashion these days.

'So, they tell me your name is Akira Haiyuka.' The old man turned a cold expression to me.

'Y-yes, sir.'

'I see. I am one of the village elders, Lord Danzo.'

I didn't really know how to reply to that, so I simply bowed my head slightly in acknowledgement until he continued.

'You were in the Akatsuki.'

I scoffed, slapping my hand over my mouth when I realised I had just scoffed at one of the village elders. His eye crinkled briefly and he tilted his head, waiting for me to reply. 'S-sorry, sir. I wasn't really 'with' them. I just sort of ended up there…'

'Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll understand that with the Akatsuki's current motives, we are unable to allow you to go free. However there is no need for you to be kept locked away unnecessarily. You must remain in the village though, and check in daily at the registrar office by the main gates.'

I nodded. Of course, I had sort of expected that.

'Also, you will be given an escort for whenever you are around the village.' His gaze shifted the man standing beside me, who looked as though he was already aware of the situation. 'This is Hatake Kakashi. He will be around to keep an eye on you.'

The man beside me glanced down with his one visible eye. I managed to offer him an awkward smile before turning back to face Danzo. 'Umm, I have one question…'

'Which is?'

'Where will I be staying?'

The elder went on to explain that there was a hotel near the centre of town that had agreed to take me in, provided that I work to earn my keep in their client bar. I would also be paid a small amount for my food and necessities, which I was grateful for. The rest of the meeting with the pair was fairly boring, but I tried my best to pay attention as they discussed the various rules and boundaries that I was permitted to follow. I had no objections.

When they were finished, the old man dismissed us promptly. I walked cautiously behind Kakashi as he led me through the vaguely familiar, ever-bustling streets of Konaha. Several people paused to stare and whisper, but I ignored them, bowing my head to hide my eyes as I hurried after my escort.

We arrived at a modern, neat-looking building and he turned around to face me fully.

'So, this is the Isogashii Hotel. I will introduce you to the manager and he will take it from there. I'll give you two hours to get settled before I return with your belongings.'

It was only now that I realised all of my possessions were no longer on my person, and it unnerved me to think that someone had been going through my things.

The hotel manager was a snob, to say the least. He held his long nose pointing arrogantly to the ceiling the entire time he was with me, and barely even bothered to glance down until he handed me a small key fob. Still, I bowed politely and entered the room he had directed me to, all too eager to escape from his judging expression and posture.

As soon as the door was firmly closed and locked, I slumped to the floor against the wall, letting out the breath I had been holding for God knows how long. I didn't bother to do much, except eventually move my limp, exhausted body onto the bed.

I much preferred my previous time in Konaha to now. The thought struck a chord with a violent twang in my heart, and I visibly winced at the rising memories I had constantly been forcing to the back of my mind. Shisui is dead…

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, desperately fighting back the tears that I had not yet shed for the death of my long lost friend. He had killed himself! But why? Why would he do that? He was such a fun loving character with so much life in him; it was almost impossible to believe that he was really gone.

Shaking my head furiously, I bolted upright. _No! I cannot allow myself to grieve for someone I left heartlessly without a second thought over five years ago. I don't deserve to… _Rubbing my eyes roughly, I headed for the bathroom to repeatedly scrub my face in an attempt to wash away my traitorous thoughts.

Two hours passed too quickly, and the sound of tapping on the door felt like it was pounding through my head. I groaned as I reluctantly heaved myself up to answer it, surprised when I found not only Kakashi at the door, but Naruto too.

'Oh… What're you doing here?'

He grinned at me and thrust a bag into my hands. 'I'm helping Kakashi-sensei return your things to you! It's the least I could do, since you saved me and all…' He rubbed the back of his neck, a large childish grin still plastered to his face.

I cast my eyes to the floor sadly, dropping the bag beside the door and replying in a quiet, guilt-filled voice. 'I didn't do a very good job of saving you. We'd all have been dead if Jiraiya hadn't arrived.'

A sudden hand landed on my head making me jump as it scruffled my hair. I stared up at the grey-haired Jounin, his eye scrunched as he smiled beneath his mask. 'Come on. Naruto wants to show you Ichiraku.' He changed the subject and started off down the corridor, chuckling as the giddy Jinchuuriki grabbed my arm to drag me out, as he skipped after him excitedly. _This is going to be a long night…_

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**A/N: So, firstly, the Isogashii hotel literally means the busy hotel. Again with my ever-so-creative names.**

**Secondly, as I said I'm away next week, but I will have my laptop with me for work purposes, so I porbably won't get to update next week. I'll try my very best to upload one before Monday (When I go away) but don't hold me to it.**

**REVIEW GUYS! I didn't get a single review over the past 4 days and that makes me think you aren't enjoying it?**

**Please let me know what you think or I will totally lose inspiration to continue this story :(**

**See you asap! x**


	22. Back in the Leaf

**A/N: Okay, I swear to God I really do have a good reason for not updating for this long!**

**I mean, I know it's only been three weeks but OMG I've been busy! I had my holiday, then I started work the week when I got back so I've been unpacking (which I still havent finished believe it or not) and sorting out documents for work, and trying to type up this chapter in between it all!**

**So again, I'm sorry, but updates are looking to be more towards weekly now rather than daily.**

**Which is pretty normal for fanfiction I suppose...**

**Enjoy! (Finally) x**

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Ichiraku Ramen Bar was actually very quaint. It had two large red and white festival-style lanterns hanging on either side of the doorway, and along the thin wooden frame hung five kanji signs, spelling the phrase 'Ramen is the Best Pleasure', swinging steadily in the breeze.

The conversation had remained fairly light-hearted, the only exception being when the obnoxious and yet loveable blonde teenager had asked me straight-out about my rumoured Kekkei Genkai.

'Guess word spreads pretty fast around here, huh?' I chuckled, but obliged by answering him anyway, despite Kakashi's disapproving glance at Naruto. 'Basically, it's a Genjutsu.'

His head tilted as he listened, but his main objective of completely demolishing the last of his third bowl of ramen remained as his priority.

'Basically, I use music to portray images into people's minds by using the sound vibrations in the atmosphere…' I trailed off at his bewildered expression. 'Umm… To put it simply, it's like hypnosis.'

'Oh. So, where does the music come from?'

I considered briefly giving him the complicated explanation of how I form the sound waves in my head as I project them into words of music and then use either the lyrics or the melody to create scenes in their minds, but I hurriedly decided against that. 'I sing or hum, and my Kekkei Genkai power converts it into pictures in their heads.'

He finished slurping the last of his noodles and grinned at me, a small drip of juice clinging to his chin. 'Hey Akira, is it true that you're immune to the Sharingan?' His grin morphed into a smirk when I nodded, slightly surprised that so much information had gotten out so soon. 'Bet Sasuke would _love_ that!'

Throughout the rest of the night, the young blonde not once ceased his endless babbling, and I'd had to smile at the way he bickered about anything and everything with his nonchalant sensei. His personality reminded me of Shisui's, and his ever-present grin resembled that of a Cheshire cat that got the cream.

As for the food, well, I have never known someone eat as many bowls of ramen as Naruto. Although I had to agree it was a very tasty meal, one bowl was quite enough for me. Kakashi seemed very eager to leave before we received the bill, but with me in toe, his escape was delayed as I gathered my bag onto my shoulders and bowed my thanks to the chef. Needless to say that when his enthusiastic pupil slammed down his final bowl seconds later, the older ninja's face was a definite look of dread.

The rest of the village was much like I remembered, the only major difference being the considerable lack of Uchiha's and their ominous compound. Kakashi had left me at the end of the road by my accommodation, waving swiftly before strolling away, leaning backwards and lacing his hands together casually behind his head.

I trudged into the well-lit building and heaved myself lazily up the stairs. I hadn't realised how tired I was before now, and my mind wandered to the possible events that the next day might bring. I'd have to report to the registrar by the village entrance at some point and perhaps go shopping for some food supplies. The thought that I had little money left flickered through my brain, but I shook it off as tomorrow's problem and slunk into my room.

XXx

The next few weeks passed in a blur. There was no real news on any movement from the Akatsuki, and on the rare occasion that I went out to socialise, Sasuke avoided me like the plague. I didn't blame him, but I wished I could spend just a little more time with him and get to know him again. He was such a sweet kid…

Shaking my head to clear the over-powering pessimistic thoughts, I shrugged out of my fluffy-hooded, navy coat and shook each boot off my feet. It had been very cold in Konaha this past week, and I'd had to have Kakashi's pink-haired pupil, Sakura, escort me to the nearest warm clothing outlet. The lazy male jounin's visits had been few and short, and I took this as a sign that, so long as I continued my daily signings at the village registrar, I was beginning to gain some trust.

People rarely stopped to stare anymore, though I still heard the occasional whisperings from within the constant murmuring of the crowds. It still amazed me how one village could hold such a budding population of this enormity.

The hotel manager had requested that I work for him down in the restaurant in exchange for my free boarding, so on most days I slaved away obediently, cleaning tables and washing dishes.

There were only two other staff members beside myself, one being the manager's daughter, Mia. She was probably in her early twenties, but she was strong-willed, determined and clearly searching for an escape from the family business. The other was a waiter named Haru, who was absolutely and utterly in love with his completely oblivious colleague, Mia.

One evening, after a particularly long and stressful shift, I plonked myself down heavily into the shabby, sagging armchair in the corner of my room. With much persuasion, the hotel manager had allowed me to furnish my room to some extent, and for some reason, as I wandered the antique furniture store aisles, I'd been drawn to it. The tired looking armchair had held a certain charm about it that made it stand out from the rest of the well-shined and polished antiques. It had almost felt welcoming, so I had snapped it up without a second thought.

As I slumped deeper into the cushion now, I pondered the idea that perhaps it had seemed rather out of place and, finding comfort in its obscurity, I had likened it to myself.

I had to smile at the fact that I was thinking so fervently about a simple armchair, and reluctantly pushed off from its seat to lean against the window. I didn't really feel tired enough to sleep, so I considered my options as I gazed through the dirty, rain-stained glass. _It's getting dark already. Maybe I'll go find Naruto and see how he's doing._

Nodding to myself, I quickly shuffled back into my winter attire and hurried outside, the bitter wind hitting my cheeks like a harsh slap to the face. I was just rounding the final corner towards the ramen-loving boy's apartment when a familiar voice reached my ears.

'That's always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you and Naruto.' Sasuke voice was calm and clear, but there was something dark and dangerous lingering behind his words. I shuffled closer to the wall separating us to listen. It was just tall enough for me to stand with a slight crouch to remain unseen, and its surface was lined with dark red and yellow flowers that were waving gently as the wind slowed.

'Don't do this, Sasuke, you don't have to be alone!' Sakura's voice rang out, loud and layered with thick determination. 'You told me that day, how painful that being solitude can be. I understand that pain now…' Her voice lowered and quivered slightly, threatening to break. I squinted through the evening light to try to glimpse the Uchiha's face, but he stood firm with his back to both the pink-haired girl and myself.

She continued bravely as small teardrops began to slip from her chin to the stone floor around her feet. 'I have a family… and friends… But, if you were gone, Sasuke…' Sakura took a small step forward and dipped her head in a futile attempt to cease her tears. 'It would be the same thing for me, as being all alone!'

There was a long silence, and I held my breath waiting for the black-eyed teenager to respond. When he finally spoke, I knew his decision, whatever it was, was final. 'This is a new beginning. Each of us has a new path lined for us.'

'Sasuke!' Sakura's voice finally erupted from her throat in an uncontrollable sob as her tears now fell thick and fast. 'I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it! I-if you would only be with me…' I felt her sobs stab into my heart, and it took all my strength not to leap out from my hiding place and comfort her. 'I promise, I'd never let you regret it! Everyday would be a joy. I can _give_ you happiness! I'll do _anything_ for you, Sasuke! So _please_! I'm _begging_ you; don't walk away!'

I felt tears prickling my own eyes at her desperate cries tore at my heartstrings. I was vaguely aware that even the wind had stilled, gripped by her passion and stunned by the intensity in her voice. _I can't believe I'd had no idea that all this time… Sakura, you… You love him…_

'I'll even help get your revenge! I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen… I SWEAR!' I swiped at my cheek furiously as a small wet line formed from my eye to my chin. When she spoke again, it was quiet and defeated. One last desperate plea as she whimpered and shook with emotion. 'So stay here… with me… and if you can't… then take me with you, Sasuke!'

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a sharp intake of breath. _He's leaving the village? This is what it's all about? Where's he going to go? Revenge…_ Suddenly, all the jumbled pieces began to slot neatly into place as my mind whirled. Revenge on his brother! He had said he wanted to kill him back at the hotel that day with Naruto and Jiraiya. _Of course! His clan…_

Horror churned in the pit of my stomach at my delayed realisation. It all seemed so obvious now. _The encounter with Ita–_ I shook my head and corrected myself, unable to even think his name. _The encounter with his brother must have really hit home and now he's planning to leave the village to get his revenge…_

Before I could continue my analysis, the young Uchiha's voice startled me back into reality. 'You haven't changed.'

For a second, panic whipped through me as I thought I had been discovered, but his next words caught me off-guard.

'You're still annoying.'

I gasped silently and peeked over the top of the flower-lined wall. Sasuke's body had half turned around, leaning his weight cockily on one leg and tilting his head lazily. His eyes were locked cruelly onto the pink-haired girl, trapping her in his stare and making her freeze on the spot.

He began to move away but still, she persisted, leaping forward and crying out with all her heart. 'DON'T LEAVE ME! IF YOU GO, I'LL SCREAM AND–'

His sudden presence behind her silenced her shouting instantly, and I frowned at his shocking speed. The breeze rustled through their hair softly as if pulling them together. The sudden closeness seemed to take hold of him, for when he spoke, though his voice remained clam and even, I could hear the hidden guilt that laced his words.

'Sakura…Thank you for everything.'

She gasped, and I watched as his fingers gently tapped a vital chakra point on her lower back. He caught her easily as she dropped to the floor unconscious, and my heart beat hard and fast against my chest as he laid her down on a nearby bench. He lingered there for barely a second. A faint flash of a pained emotion flickered across his features, before he spun on his heel and strolled away casually, as though he were simply heading home from a long day at the academy.

When he disappeared from sight, I practically dived over the wall and crouched down swiftly beside the sleeping girl. Her pulse was strong and unaltered, and her breathing was steady. I relaxed slightly and glanced over my shoulder in the direction the Uchiha had gone. _Right. Guess I'd better go after him…_ I slipped my coat off my shoulders and tucked it over Sakura's shoulders and waist, before hurrying after the retreating figure.

It didn't take me long to locate the young Uchiha, his chakra was bouncing uncontrollably in response to his apparently torn emotions. I have to say, I was both shocked and disturbed by his initial cool attitude to Sakura's love declaration and pleas of desperation, but the latter of their encounter had confirmed to me that he did, in fact, care for the pretty pinkette.

His steps halted immediately as I stepped out from the shadows, and he turned his head slowly to regard me with one irritated eye. _How like his brother…_ I rolled my eyes internally at his motion.

'I thought I sensed another chakra signature… So. You saw the whole thing, right?'

I had to resist flinching at his cold tone. 'I saw enough. What the hell are you thinking?'

He laughed once humourlessly and turned to face me full, squaring off his shoulders and standing his ground. It reminded me greatly of the way he used to puff up his little chest to appear more powerful. I smiled softly at the familiarity, earning a scowl from the young Uchiha. 'I don't expect you to understand. You're on _his_ side, which probably means I should kill _you_ too.'

Now it was my turn to laugh. 'Sasuke, I really don't think you could. I'm much stronger now, you know, I even gave your brother a good run for his money.'

He seemed surprised by this, but the tiny flecks of emotion left his eyes as quickly as they had come. 'What are you saying?'

'It wasn't a threat, if that's what you think. Quite the opposite actually.' I gave him a lopsided grin, unable to keep the humour from my voice as I teased him. 'You haven't changed much yourself, you know.'

'You're wrong!' He half shouted at me, fists balling angrily on either side of him. 'I'm nothing like what I was. I see everything clearly now, unlike the stupid, foolish little child I used to be.'

I pursed my lips as I weighed up my options. On one hand, I could attempt to prevent his escape, which would inevitably break into an all out battle of strength, determination and will. On the other, I could let him go. In all honesty, I didn't find myself favouring either option, since my opinion was pretty biased. I sighed lightly and met his angry glare. 'Sasuke. I will not stop you from choosing your own path. But if you take anything from this meeting, then please, _please_ believe me when I say this…'

I lowered my eyes to stare at the ground, feeling a ferocious bubbling of desperation begin to arise from the pit of my stomach. I heard him shift his weight, uncomfortable with my strange silence as I battled with my emotions.

Finally, I lift my gaze and our eyes lock, sapphire and onyx. 'The eye doesn't always see the truth, Sasuke.'

As if disappointed with my statement, he scoffed and twisted his heel to leave. I watched as he paused on the spot, looking as though he were about to respond, but he never did.

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**A/N: WOO!**

**Yeah so not much happens in this chapter, I tried to explain her Kekkei Genkai more in this one too since some lovely wonderful amazing people reviewed and commented about it :D So thanks to you who reviewed.**

**I'm also really disappointed that only one person reviewed over the past few weeks so I'm hoping to get a few more comments for my next chapter, you really do inspire me and encourage me to keep it up, so please do.**

**That's all from me, over and out! x**


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